


Carly’s Sheldon

by VioletsDaisy



Category: The Big Bang Theory (TV)
Genre: Demisexual Sheldon Cooper, F/M, Shy Sheldon Cooper
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:55:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 81,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28756959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VioletsDaisy/pseuds/VioletsDaisy
Summary: A librarian moves into the apartment building, two levels below Sheldon, Leonard, and Penny. After running into Sheldon and then Penny in the laundry room one night, she gets invited to meet the gang. She ends up getting close to Sheldon and soon romance blossoms in the only way Carly and Sheldon know.
Relationships: Bernadette Rostenkowski/Howard Wolowitz, Leonard Hofstadter/Penny, Rajesh Koothrappali/Original Female Character, Sheldon Cooper/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1: Laundry Night

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Big Bang Theory or any of its characters, places, or storylines. I do own original characters: Carly, Rose, Molly, and Tom. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A discovery is like falling in love and reaching the top of a mountain after a hard climb all in one, an ecstasy not induced by drugs but by the revelation of a face of nature that no one has seen before and that often turns out to be more subtle and wonderful than anyone had imagined.

Chapter 1: Laundry Night

Carly Bennet had moved into a new apartment building just a few weeks ago. She had finally decided it was time to move out of her Grandmother's old house, at the ripe age of twenty-five, and get a place of her own. She loved her Grandmother of course, but people her age were married, had an actual house of their own and were probably having kids. Carly, however, had been living with her Grandmother since she was five years old after her parents had been tragically killed in a house fire.

The fact that this elderly lady had taken her in when she had nowhere else to go and had raised her, made Carly feel emotionally obligated to stay and return the favor. Her Grandmother disagreed and made it clear she'd be just fine on her own.

So Carly reluctantly saved all of her paychecks at the library she was working at and attempted to find a new home. Her Grandmother had found an ad in the newspaper for a lease of an apartment over in Pasadena, which was about thirty minutes from where she lived. A rather large city, not San Francisco big but it was a stark difference from what she was used to.

She had drug the move-out, procrastinating, and not wanting to just up and leave her Grandmother. This was a huge change for both of them and she wanted to make one hundred percent sure that the lady was going to be okay without her.

After making her grandmother promise to call her if she needed anything, she finally was set up in 2B and had landed a job at the local library in Pasadena.

The hours beyond hours of university in library sciences prepared her for this opportunity - to be a librarian and she loved the library there in Pasadena. The tall ceilings, the massive bookcases, the smell- it was heaven to her.

Her apartment reflected her love of reading material, with many bookcases around with different types of books on diverse subjects and just an overall cozy atmosphere.

With all that said, what she loved most about the apartment was that it was all hers and she was surprised to find herself excited for what this new chapter in her life would bring.

oO0Oo

It was a Saturday night around eight in the evening and Carly was sorting her clothing. The library closed at seven and after a long day at work, she knew she needed to finally do a load or two to make sure she had actual clothes to wear the next week.

After grabbing some quarters out of her coin jar, she took hold of a basket filled with light-colored clothes and headed down to the laundry room that she had been in only once since moving in. It was located in the basement of the apartment building and was sort of dank, dingy - but it beat going to the laundry mat across the city or driving thirty minutes to her Grandmother's just to do laundry.

Carly was humming quietly to herself when she walked through the doorway and didn't even realize that there was someone else in the room, sorting his own laundry into the washer.

That is to say, until he turned the washer on, bringing the machine to life and sending Carly an inch into the air in alarm.

She whipped her head in his direction, the hum on her lips turning into a slight gasp.

The man before her was incredibly tall, very lanky, and had short brown hair combed over to one side. He wore brown pants, a red "The Flash" T-shirt, and a striped long sleeve shirt underneath, pushed up to his elbows. His eyes were adverted from hers, uncomfortable with her wide-eyed gaze on him, and quickly collected his empty hamper into his arms.

For some reason, she couldn't easily take her eyes off of him but she realized she was being rather rude- especially since he seemed like he was desperate for her to stop staring.

Carly tore her gaze from him to clumsily open up a washer and begun placing her clothes inside, all the while conflicted if she should speak with him or not.

Since arriving in Pasadena, she hadn't talked to anyone outside of work. Making friends had never been her strong suit. To put it bluntly, she was a loner. Always with a book in her hand, shy, and just plain introverted.

Upon moving to the city, she had promised herself to be more open to change, do things that would push her out of her comfort zone, and make some friends.

So when she saw him start to leave from the corner of her eye, she hastily came to a snap decision and spun herself around, half-crazed, in his direction and threw a hand up to stop him with a lame "Hi!"

The greeting was too loud and she regretted it as soon as it left her mouth when she saw him jump in surprise and turn to face her in absolute horror.

Warmth began in her chest and grew upward to her face, making it hard to breathe or even think properly.

He looked like a deer in headlights.

"S-Sorry. My name is Carly, I live in 2B. I haven't met anyone in the building and I figured I would introduce myself." It all came out quickly in a gush of words jumbled together awkwardly. She couldn't help let out a loud puff of air afterward to catch her breath.

He just stared at her, almost in confusion with his eyes blank, for a very long moment and she began to wonder if he didn't speak English. That would be her luck.

But then he seemed to collect himself slightly before muttering a quick, "Great."

Then disappeared with his laundry basket in his arms, leaving Carly to stare mindlessly at the spot he had been standing in prior. Bewildered, she wasn't exactly sure how to process what had happened, but then again, he had been uncomfortable from the moment she walked into the room... or maybe she just scared him off.

Cursing herself for coming on too strong, she turned back to the washer in chagrin, putting her quarters in the machine and turned it on.

Soon after she had pressed start, she heard footsteps. Thinking it could have been the man in the flash shirt again, she spun around toward the door with a smile. She didn't know where this hope was coming from.

It wasn't him though, she quickly realized in slight disappointment, seeing a tanned and very blond woman enter the laundry room.

She caught Carly's eyes and looked mildly surprised. "Oh hello," she greeted, a little startled but it grew into a really pretty grin. "You must be the one who moved into 2B. I'm Penny."

While balancing her laundry basket on one hip, she threw a hand out to Carly.

Carly was stunned by the friendliness of Penny. She wasn't used to it and to be frank, the woman looked like she could be in a vogue magazine. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, she awkwardly took her hand and they shook. "I'm Carly."

Penny didn't seem to notice Carly's nerves or if she did, she didn't question it. As they released hands she walked over to the dryers and continued like they had known each other for a long time. "I live up in 4B, come over anytime if you need anything."

Carly, dumbstruck, watched Penny pull clothes out of one of the dryers. Was she offering to be her friend?

Carly knew she shouldn't let the opportunity pass. Especially with how awkward she was. "Thanks. That's very kind of you," she told her gratefully with a small smile.

Penny stood with her basket full of clothes and turned to give Carly a kind smile. "Of course! Us girls who live alone need to stick together. I'm from a small town in Nebraska. When I moved here I knew absolutely nobody. I wish I'd had someone around to help me."

Carly saw a kindred spirit in Penny and she knew that she was wanted to be friends with her. She was gorgeous and from the looks of it, opposite of who Carly was, but Penny was sweet and generous. It was refreshing to see since in her experience girls that looked like Penny were rather cruel to girls who looked like Carly.

"Speaking of which, some of my friends that live in the apartment across the hall from me are hanging out and eating Indian food. Would you like to join us?"

Carly's heart did a flip at the offer and for a couple of beats, she didn't know what to say. No one had ever invited over to hang out with them before, not this quickly.

At her hesitation, Penny's smile faltered, "Unless that was weird. I understand if it was weird."

Carly realized that she had taken too long and shook her head hastily. "No! That would be great actually," Carly said breathlessly, holding onto her basket tightly. "I was just a little surprised is all."

"Sorry, it's just that it will be nice having another girl around here. I'm so outnumbered," she told her sheepishly, and Carly raised an eyebrow.

"Outnumbered?" Were all of her friends male? She vaguely pictured Penny partying with some overly macho, muscular men fawning all over her while she laughs at the attention.

Was she going to regret this? Carly followed Penny out of the laundry room and back up the stairs, wondering if it was too late to back out now but Penny shrugged and continued.

"Yeah, but it's not just me anymore. One of the guys is dating a past coworker of mine so she comes over a lot now. It's nice but, well," She trailed off as if it explained it all but Carly frowned at Penny's back because it didn't at all.

Penny looked over her shoulder and gave her a once over, before coming to a sudden conclusion. "You'll fit right in, I'm sure of it."

Carly tried to smile back at the blond but she was unsure. She wanted to be brave and make friends, this would be the way to do it, but she wasn't sure if she was completely comfortable with the scenario before her.

She felt her palms get clammy on her basket as they passed her apartment and headed up the next flight of stairs. Clearing her throat, she tried to keep herself going.

"You're from Nebraska? What brings you all the way out here?"

Penny smiled at her. "I'm an actress."

Carly's eyebrows rose at the answer and she gaped a little with a smile in awe. "Wow, an actress? That's amazing!"

Penny blushed a little under the praise and gave a one-shouldered shrug, her tone turning bitter. "Well, I'm trying to be. I haven't had much luck since moving here. I feel like I'll probably just work at the Cheesecake Factory forever at this rate."

"Oh." Carly looked down as they walked then glanced back up at her. "Well, I wouldn't give up. If it's something you truly want to do, always go for it."

She surprised herself with the conviction in her voice, wondering if she was giving herself a pep talk as well. Making friends was an important thing for her, but she was scared of rejection and judgment from other people.

Penny surprised her by placing a hand on Carly's shoulder and giving her an appreciative smile. "Thank you, Carly. You're really sweet."

Carly couldn't help but blush and look down, trying to keep herself walking as they finally made it to the fourth floor. "T-Thank you."

Penny gave her shoulder a light squeeze then released her to look at the door she had come to a stop in front of. "This is it. Go ahead and just leave your basket here," she told Carly while also placing hers down by the door. Carly did the same and held her breath as Penny swung open the door.

"Hey guys, this is Carly. She's the one who moved into 2B," Penny introduced her to the group around the coffee table, before closing the door behind them both.

Carly was amazed to not see muscular, tanned men sitting around and instead saw well, normal guys. It immediately had her relaxing a little. Their gazes on her had her feeling rather apprehensive.

"Hi," she greeted, her eyes wandering around at all their faces and then coming to a stop on the man sitting on the left of the couch, staring back at her. Her heart skipped a beat. "Oh, hey! You're that guy that was just down at the laundry room with me," she pointed out in recognition, unable to stop herself, causing the others to look from her to the man in curiosity.

He looked vaguely startled but quickly diverted his attention to his bowl of rice in his hand. "That's because it's laundry night," he said smartly, disinterested in the conversation before he spooned the rice into his mouth.

"That's Sheldon," Penny told her with a roll of her eyes, gesturing to him as he tried to ignore them by watching the TV.

Carly nodded idly but frowned, wondering why Sheldon was so unfriendly and how Penny who was so sweet and thoughtful could be friends with him.

"And that is Leonard, his roommate," Penny pointed to the short man in the large armchair next to the couch. "My boyfriend."

Leonard smiled shyly at her with a slow raise of his hand and Carly gave him a nod. He was cute; dark curly hair and thick-framed glasses.

"And this is Howard and his girlfriend Bernadette," Penny said, pointing to them on the other side of the couch and Carly looked over at them with a nod and a smile.

Howard was short and very skinny with dark hair styled in a way that reminded Carly of the Beatles. His girlfriend was a little shorter than him and had pretty blond curls and short bangs hovering over her glasses. Her floral dress was really cute.

"And last but not least, Raj - and just a heads up, he can't talk to women unless he drinks alcohol," Penny replied with a shrug over at a man with mocha-colored skin and black hair, sitting next to Howard and Bernadette in a desk chair.

He had been looking at Carly before but when her eyes landed on him, his gaze darted away uncomfortably. She recognized it immediately. He had social anxiety. She felt for him, knowing exactly how it felt.

"Nice to meet all of you," Carly told them with a nervous smile. They all seemed rather nice and she could see herself becoming friends with them, hopefully.

Well... maybe not all of them, she thought with a glance at Sheldon who still was ignoring her.

Penny led her over to the kitchenette and they both took a hold of the chairs at the island and sat them down next to each other by Leonard, who looked up at the women anxiously.

"Penny we don't have enough for her," Leonard murmured hastily to Penny, making Carly bite her lip. She didn't like the feeling of intruding on them.

Penny waved him off though, not seeming to be bothered by it.

"We can share, can't we?" she asked Carly who nodded with an appreciative smile, surprised by the generous offer. She didn't eat much anyway.

Penny split a carton of curry rice between them. Carly couldn't remember the last time she'd had Indian food. Everyone was eating and so she did as well, her eyes moving to the TV which was playing some sort of sci-fi movie.

It was quiet for a moment but then Bernadette spoke up, "So Carly, what do you do for a living?" she asked, her voice sweeter than candy.

Carly hadn't been expecting the question and she awkwardly finished her mouthful of food before smiling at her, "I'm a librarian."

The others seemed to be listening too and she saw them nod in approval but Sheldon dramatically rolled his eyes, catching her off guard. "Oh, dear lord," he complained loudly.

What had felt like hope and acceptance, immediately plummeted at his outburst. Carly didn't understand him in the slightest.

"What?" She questioned with a frown, unable to stop herself because she didn't like the way he was speaking about her.

Sheldon finally looked away from the TV, glancing at the others first who seemed annoyed with him, before settling his piercing gaze on her to explain himself. "We have a small close-knit of friends here. Besides, we already have someone who is highly uneducated and we don't have room for another."

Carly was left to stare at him, mystified and stung. He had just told her that she was stupid and didn't belong there... here she had thought she was finally befriending people and instead her worst fear was materializing right before her eyes, wearing a bright red flash T-shirt.

Feeling as if she should defend herself, she struggled to get her emotions in check before forcing out a wobbly retort. "I'm educated. I have my master's in library science."

Her response didn't help Sheldon's opinion of her, instead, he seemed even more put out. He rolled his eyes and helplessly looked to Leonard. "This is all your fault. You just had to invite Penny over all those years ago. If you had just stayed the introverted nerd you are, we could be eating our dinner and watching Star Trek in peace."

"You're being rude, Sheldon," Leonard bit back, glaring at him. The others were silent but were all seeming to think the same thing. Sheldon didn't seem affected by it.

"I'm rude? Penny invited someone into our apartment without even asking us- and I'm the rude one?" He seemed baffled by the audacity of him being rude and went back to eating his meal.

Carly looked down at her food, suddenly not hungry and wishing to leave.

Penny scowled at Sheldon and then placed a gentle hand on Carly, making her look up to see Penny's apologetic expression. "You're my guest, don't let him bother you."

Carly tried to let Penny's assurance wash over her but she didn't feel comfortable to say or do anything else.

Carly made herself stand up, aware of their eyes on her, and she sat down the carton of rice onto the coffee table. "Thank you for sharing your meal, I- well I need to go and check on my laundry."

It was a lame excuse because Penny knew that she had just started her load less than twenty minutes ago, but she seemed to understand that Carly wanted to leave.

"Oh, okay." Penny sounded dejected and she stood up with her, following her to the door.

A clumsy chorus of "nice to meet you" and "Have a good night" sounded from the others, save Raj and Sheldon, and Carly tried to smile at them but couldn't make her face cooperate.

Penny looked remorseful when Carly opened the door to leave. Carly turned and attempted a grateful smile. "Thank you for inviting me."

"Hey, don't let what Sheldon said to get to you," she told her in a low voice, obviously concerned. "He has an ego the size of the universe and is horrible at social situations. He has said some pretty rude stuff to me, to all of us, but he does have a good heart. You just got to get to know him."

Carly appreciated the sentiment but she didn't think she wanted to get to know him at all. "Don't worry about it," she told her, wanting to forget it honestly. "Your friends... they're nice."

Penny smiled, appreciating the bypass on Sheldon. "They are sometimes. We should get together... just us. Maybe Bernadette."

That did sound nice. Carly nodded with true happiness. "Sounds perfect."

Penny grinned then, glad that Carly was still wanting to become friends. "Great! I'll let you know okay?"

"Definitely. I'll see you later, Penny," she told her, intending on leaving but Penny stopped her one last time, sticking her head out the door nervously, as Carly made a move for her basket.

"Hey, um Sheldon does his laundry every Saturday night so, um, just be prepared to see him again. My advice? Just stand your ground. It's the only way I have been able to get anywhere with him."

Carly's heart did a little jump. She didn't think she could handle dealing with Sheldon again. "Oh, right. Okay. Thanks."

Penny nodded worriedly and then shut the door, leaving Carly to grab her basket. She sighed. She hadn't even made it a whole week in living there and had already made an enemy.

She had to make sure she did her laundry on another day from then on, she told herself, not wanting to not run into him if she could help it.

Carly honestly didn't understand why he had been so rude to her. She hadn't done anything wrong to him. Was it really because she had come uninvited?

She blushed at the thought, embarrassed. She hadn't meant to make him uncomfortable again. She thought of his reaction when she had seen him in the laundry room. Perhaps he had social anxiety and her appearing in his safe place put him on edge.

Later on, she was putting her clothes in the dryer. As she turned it on, she didn't hear the footsteps behind her and was startled by the appearance of Sheldon standing about five feet behind her, when she turned around.

"Carly." His voice was clipped and he looked awkward. He held his laundry basket unsteadily in front of him and his eyes wouldn't stay on her face for very long.

Her heart was pounding anxiously in her chest at the sight of him. She hadn't expected to see him that quickly after she had left his apartment.

"Yes, Sheldon?" She asked warily, his insults and rude tone still fresh in her memory.

Sheldon took a deep breath before speaking as if forcing himself to say whatever he was going to say. "It has come to my attention that what I said to you was rude and uncalled for."

Carly's eyebrows shot up at his unexpected words. It wasn't exactly an apology but she understood the message. The impression of him faltered a little.

Her reaction had his body tensing and he pointedly looked down at his basket. He was horribly uncomfortable. Yes, social anxiety, she thought. She was beginning to think that this group of friends were exactly her type of people. That she fit right in.

Remembering what Penny had told her all of a sudden, to stand her ground, she lifted her jaw and tried to level her voice. "It's fine. Just um, don't insult my intelligence again."

Sheldon snapped his head up at her words and she half wondered if she had said the wrong thing, but then his face screwed up in confusion and he took a step toward her- as if to figure out something.

"I never insulted your intelligence, just that you weren't educated enough - and to be fair, I'm not a fan of social sciences."

Carly suddenly realized that she had completely misinterpreted him. A weight felt like it fell from her shoulders and she looked up at him with new eyes.

"Oh, well that makes sense," she said apologetically. "I'm sorry for not understanding you. I thought- well it felt like you were calling me stupid and that you didn't want me around because of it."

Sheldon stared at her then, searching for something that confused the crap out of her.

"What?" She asked meekly and he shifted on his feet, preparing to explain himself.

"I am just trying to comprehend how you could have got that impression when I didn't say anything whatsoever about your IQ." The wheels in his head turning apparent in his eyes as he struggled to understand. "Although I am almost positive your IQ doesn't match mine," he added as an afterthought.

Carly blushed then, unable to hide her embarrassment, and glanced down away from his gaze. She supposed it was true he hadn't called her stupid but it had made her feel like it. "I am a sensitive person, I guess."

Sheldon continued to eye her for another moment, his silence making her look back up at him curiously before she watched him turn to a washer and began to retrieve his clothes to place in the dryer.

At the sight of Superman underwear in his hands, she jumped as if stung and quickly fumbled with her hamper in fake interest. Did he wear those?

She bit her lip, trying to stifle the giggling that threatened to escape her. Butterflies fluttered somewhere inside of her as she thought of him wearing them.

This man, who had been rude to her, confused by her, and seemed like a different species - wore superhero underwear.

The complexity of him intrigued her and honestly, it was adorable.

It made her want to get to know him. To uncover everything that made him who he was. "So..." she shifted in her shoes, trying to wrack up the courage to speak to him. "So what do you do for a living then?"

She watched him turn around to approach the dryers, his face now proud at what he was about to say. "I'm a theoretical physicist over at Caltech University. I have two doctorates if you were wondering."

Carly gaped, astounded by it even. "Wow, that is impressive."

He smirked, loving the praise. "I know."

The phrase "ego the size of the universe" ran through her mind. She stifled a laugh as he threw his clothes in the dryer.

She glanced at the clock and realized just how late it was. It was Saturday yes but she was an old woman at heart, probably because she had been living with one her whole life.

"Well, have a good night Sheldon," she told him, moving towards the door, basket in hand.

Sheldon turned around hastily, "Wait!"

She froze, stunned, then turned to look at his pained face. He approached her slowly, looking uncertain. "Do you play halo?"

Carly was silent for a couple of beats, not understanding the question. "Halo?" She parroted dumbly.

For a split second, he looked exasperated at the fact she didn't know what he was talking about but he seemed to reel it in for her benefit, which she appreciated. "Halo is a video game. We play it on Wednesdays."

She blinked. Was he... inviting her over on Wednesday? Her heart fluttered at the possibility. "I wouldn't want to impose."

He gave her a shrug as if to say it didn't matter to him with his eyes running along the walls of the laundry room. "It wouldn't be an imposition."

Carly eyed him, wondering why he had changed his mind. She wasn't complaining, not by a long shot. Not wanting to risk her chances, she smiled at him.

He glanced over at her then, apparently sensing her change of mood, and caught her eyes.

"I'd love to!"

Sheldon visibly relaxed and his lips curbed upwards just a tiny bit. It made her happy to see it. Perhaps they could be friends after all.

They walked up the stairs together and Carly looked over at him, unable to help herself from asking more questions. "So, you play video games?"

Sheldon glanced at her. "Yes. I told you we play Halo on Wednesdays-"

"No I know," she stopped him with a light laugh. "I haven't ever played a video game before so I was just wondering what kind of game it was."

Sheldon looked over at her, absolutely flabbergasted and she felt her face warm. "You've never played a video game before?"

She looked at him oddly and shook her head. "No. Is that weird?"

"Not exactly, but it's surprising," he told her looking down in front of him, still stunned, as they walked up to the first landing. "Halo is a first-person shooter game."

"Oh, I see." She bit her lip and thought for a second before glancing back up at him. "Could you show me how to play?"

Sheldon came to a stop in front of 1B and she almost collided with him but was fast enough to catch herself. He spun around and looked down at her.

From the angle they were standing in, she realized just how tall he was. She was only five foot four and he had to at least be six feet. It was a little intimidating.

"You want me to show you how to play Halo?" He seemed to need to hear it again and she bit back a grin.

"Yes, if that's okay," she said, ducking her head while peering up at him sheepishly.

Sheldon thought for a moment then threw his hands up, turning back around as if he hadn't stopped. She quickly followed after him up the next flight of stairs.

"Why not? Leonard's a horrible partner, maybe I'd stand a chance if I taught you everything I knew."

Knowing he had a huge ego, she grinned behind his back, finding this side of him to be endearing- as long as it didn't involve insulting her, of course. "You seem to be an expert at it, I'd probably mop the floor with him if you taught me your ways."

Sheldon looked over at her with a sudden evil grin, eyes twinkling, and she felt her heart skip a beat at it. She was surprised by her reaction.

"You make a great point, young grasshopper," he told her smugly, probably already scheming on how to beat his friends at the game with her as his protege.

She couldn't help but grin back at him.

They finally made it to her apartment and she came to a stop, with Sheldon lingering by the next flight of stairs.

"Well, this is me... I'll see you later then?" Her voice was hopeful and she realized she meant it.

He was different than what she first noticed of him. He had a playful side, for being someone so smart. She supposed this was what Penny had referred to. Why they all were friends with him even when he said rude things.

Sheldon paused and then gave her a nod. "Indeed."

She smiled at him, one last time, feeling his eyes on her as she entered her apartment.

oO0Oo

Sheldon opened the door to his apartment and quickly walked through the living room, glancing at Leonard who was busy on his computer.

Leonard looked up as he walked past, and gave him a quirk of the eyebrow. "How did it go?" He asked, making Sheldon stop mid-step and turn around with a confused expression.

"How did laundry go?" He asked derisively as if Leonard had lost his mind. "Is that the sort of thing you ask now that you're dating Penny again?"

Leonard stifled an irritated scowl and ignored the jab. "I meant with Carly. You did see her down there right?"

Sheldon straightened, realizing he had misinterpreted Leonard's question. "It went fine. She accepted the apology."

Leonard relaxed at the news. "Oh good. I was worried you had scared her off."

Sheldon looked offended. "What? No, in fact, I'm going to be teaching her how to play Halo on Wednesday."

Leonard blinked, mystified by the idea. "Wait, what? Halo? She wants to play it with us?"

Sheldon rolled his eyes and shifted his basket in his hands. "No, with me. Sorry, Leonard, you're off the team."

Leonard stood then, panic on his face. "You're replacing me?"

Sheldon shrugged as if it wasn't important. "I've told you so many times to not go off on your own and so I am recruiting a new team member that will listen to me."

Leonard scowled and crossed his arms. "You mean recruit someone who will obey your every command."

Sheldon smiled then, pointing a finger to Leonard. "Exactly! Now you're getting it."

"Don't take advantage of how nice she is, Sheldon."

The smile fell from his face. "Why would I do that?"

Leonard shifted on his feet, suddenly uneasy with how the conversation was going. "I'm just saying. She seems like a nice girl."

Sheldon screwed up his face. "I am aware of how nice she is. Don't go ruining her! You already have Penny."

Leonard looked up at the ceiling, trying to contain his exasperation with his roommate. Sheldon ignored it and turned to leave for his bedroom.

"Wait, Sheldon-"

He turned back around, annoyed that he was being questioned so many times. "What is it now?"

Leonard took a deep breath. "You were set against her becoming friends with us earlier and now you're all for it- what changed your mind?"

Sheldon frowned at his roommate, confused as to where this was going. "I thought you guys wanted me to be okay with it."

Leonard shook his head, not getting his point across. "No we do, that's not what I mean. What I mean is..." He paused, trying to figure out a way to phrase it without confusing Sheldon further. "Did something happen down in the laundry room that changed your mind? Call me crazy, but it's unlike you to concede this quickly. And halo? Does she even play the game?"

Sheldon who had momentarily been looking at Leonard uneasily, suddenly waved him off. "Of course not! Someone that attractive can't possibly know how to play video games. Didn't you hear her? She organizes books for a living."

Leonard hadn't heard anything after Sheldon had admitted Carly was attractive. "Y-you think Carly is att-attractive?" he stuttered, his eyes blinked repeatedly - trying to process what was just said.

Sheldon stopped, his heart coming up short as he replayed his words back to himself. Yes, he had said that. Trying to figure out how to explain himself because he honestly didn't understand it himself, he shrugged. "She has nice skin," he answered simply.

Leonard gave out a short, disbelieving laugh. "Skin?" he asked in growing curiosity, walking over to him to get a better gauge of Sheldon's reaction.

Sheldon, feeling rather uncomfortable now, held his ground and narrowed his eyes at Leonard's small smirk. "She seems to take good care of herself hygienically and she is in no way repulsing."

Leonard was now full out grinning, irking the taller man to no end, as if he knew something he didn't. "Sheldon, do you like her?"

Sheldon stared at him then, not understanding what his roommate was getting at. "I don't not like her."

"No I mean do you like her, like her?" Leonard pressed, starting to get antsy. He just wanted to know what was going on in his roommate's head.

Sheldon was becoming exasperated. "I don't understand what you are getting at."

Leonard rolled his eyes and let out a breath. "Sheldon, I mean do you find her sexually attractive. Would you consider taking her out on a date or something?"

Sheldon took a step back, his eyes widening and his lips parting. He was about to say of course not, but then he started thinking of Carly's smile and her soft-looking brown hair that hung around her pale shoulders. Her eyes were a bright brown that reminded him of hot tea on cold days. And she did have nice skin. It was porcelain-looking almost even though she had a couple of blemishes on her cheeks. He admired the way she didn't try to cover them up with makeup as Penny did. She looked natural. And that was appealing to him.

"Sheldon?"

Leonard calling him back to reality made him realize he had zoned out while thinking about Carly and that disturbed him.

"Sheldon? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you go into panic speechless mode…"

Sheldon collected himself quickly, trying to collect himself back to clarity, and frowned down at Leonard. "Don't be absurd."

He then spun on his heel, heading for his bedroom to get away from Leonard and his preposterous questions and conclusions.


	2. Chapter 2: Nice Skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We operate on the assumption that Sheldon has no deal. Though we have many theories about how he might reproduce. I'm an advocate of mitosis." - Howard

Chapter 2: Nice Skin

Two weeks flew by and Carly found herself surrounded by a true group of friends. After that first night, she had been worried that they wouldn’t be as open to her, since she had left on such an odd note- but she had been wrong. They welcomed her with warm arms.

Penny especially. Carly was surprised how easy it became to talk to her, laugh with her, and how many of the same movies they’d seen. Carly was a romantic nerd and so she had seen probably every romance movie made.

She had also convinced Carly to spruce up her wardrobe during a trip to the mall. Penny was so fashionable that it inspired Carly to try harder. It wasn’t that she didn’t care what she wore, it was more that she just didn’t pay attention.

Her head was mostly in the clouds most days, or wearing modest clothing at the library, so donning a cute floral top hadn’t been a priority. She was surprised how a new outfit could lift her self-esteem.

Bernadette was really sweet, but surprisingly rather feisty. Her boyfriend Howard was a little odd, but he was nice.

Raj, or Rajesh, still hadn’t spoken to her but she was holding out on him. He seemed nice, just bashful. Carly wished she could make him feel more comfortable around her, but she knew that overcoming social anxiety was no easy feat. Especially to his level.

Leonard was great too. He was funny and loved watching Penny smile. It made his eyes twinkle. They were dating and Carly understood why. They seemed to glow in each other’s presence.

And then there was Sheldon.

Just as promised, he had taught her how to play Halo. She surprised herself with how quickly she caught on. The controller and the buttons had been the hardest part but he had let her take a few practice turns before they went up against anyone.

True to his word, they had won each game, much to Sheldon’s glee and Leonard’s dismay. Carly still felt guilty that Sheldon had replaced Leonard with her, but Leonard hadn’t seemed too put out. He was busy cheering her on excitedly.

Since then, she was invited to dinner with them each time they got together which was almost every night. Despite the copious amount of takeout food, she was enjoying herself. She had even gotten used to Sheldon and his many quirks.

She had learned that he loved to teach everyone random facts that he knew. Carly was surprised to find that she was learning quite a lot from listening to him until he began talking about science - instead, she just agreed with what he said, not understanding in the slightest.

Carly saw a vulnerability in Sheldon and how he reacted towards others. He didn't understand things out of his comfort zone and he could come off as a right jerk, but Carly knew that he wasn't. The others, although knowing this about him - misinterpreted his words more often than not and turned to mock him out of amusement.

She could tell he tried not to let it bother him or that he didn’t notice, but she knew, from observing him, that it wasn’t the case. She felt like she should say something but she hadn’t known them long and well, she didn’t think Sheldon would appreciate her calling him out like that. He was concealing his disapproval for a reason.

Besides that, she found he was quite funny as well if you understood his humor. There was a twinkle in his blue eyes whenever he was about to speak about something he knew or found interesting and Carly couldn't help but find it adorable.

Yes, she found him attractive. She couldn’t help it.

oO0Oo

It was a Tuesday night and they all were sat around a table at the Cheesecake Factory.

Penny had made sure to be their waitress while Bernadette had the night off and she was sitting next to Howard.

Carly had found herself sitting between Leonard and Sheldon, enjoying the fact that she was once again with friends she could call her own.

If Carly a month ago could have foreseen this, she wouldn’t have been so anxious about moving.

When they had all got their food and began eating, Leonard spoke up from his plate. “So I was over at the comic book store earlier today and Stuart said that he could get us a discount on the Pennsylvania Comic-Con tickets. Isn't that awesome?"

Howard and Raj grinned in disbelief. “What? That’s great-“

Sheldon quickly interjected Howard, as usual, a look of astonishment thrown Leonard's way over Carly’s head. “Hold on! You mean, you went to the comic book store without me?"

Leonard shrugged guiltily under his roommate's gaze, glancing down at the table. "Yeah… I needed to go pick up my Ultimate Spiderman before it sold out."

His explanation didn’t assure Sheldon and Bernadette caught Carly’s eyes, looking uneasy.

“That's why they have subscriptions, Leonard. How many times have I told you? That way on new comic book night, Stuart will have them put back for us," Sheldon explained knowingly, wishing Leonard would just listen to him.

"That is true, Leonard. Raj and I have had subscriptions for a while now. It really takes the pressure off," Howard agreed, raising his eyebrows at his friend from across the table. Raj nodded. That surprised Carly, normally Howard and Raj defended Leonard.

Sheldon gave Leonard a look like, see I told you.

"I have been meaning to, I just keep forgetting when I go in there," Leonard groaned with a hand to his forehead, his eyes squeezing shut as if he were in pain.

Sheldon shrugged in hopeless defeat, giving up on him. "Forgetting will leave you new comic-book-less.”

Leonard scowled at Sheldon but Sheldon was on a new subject now and had turned to Carly suddenly, making her tense up- worrying his wrath was for some reason had turned on her.

"Carly," Sheldon said her name with a different tone, making her look up at him and swallow her mouthful of food quickly, eyeing his smile suspiciously. "How would you like to join us at the comic book store tomorrow night?"

Carly's eyebrows rose in surprise and the others simultaneously leaned in with curiosity at the two. Even Penny, who had been cleaning the table next to them snapped her head up at the question and looked over.

Carly tilted her head, wondering why he had asked that all of a sudden. "Well... I get off work at six tomorrow night, so I’m sure if my schedule coincides with yours I could go," she said with a smile up at him, pointedly ignoring the stares from the rest of the table.

Sheldon smiled back and with no hesitation said, "Great. We go at seven, Leonard can drive us."

Carly remembered the argument between the roommates the other day after Sheldon had practically demanded Leonard take him to the train store. “I could drive.”

Sheldon waved her off as if inconveniencing Leonard wasn’t a big deal. "Oh don't worry, we can all carpool."

Leonard would have normally been annoyed with Sheldon for assuming he'd drive, but because it had sounded as if Sheldon was asking Carly out... in a way, he said nothing and was silent with anticipation.

Carly looked to him to make sure it was okay, and Leonard gave a small shrug. So, she nodded to Sheldon with a smile. "You talked me into it. I'll come over to your apartment after I get home from work and we can all leave then."

Sheldon seemed pleased and went back to his burger. The stares dissipated as Carly went back to her meal and she knew she couldn’t wait any longer. She stood, catching them off guard.

"I'll be back; I need to use the restroom," she explained and Bernadette then wiped her mouth with a napkin and got to her feet.

"I'll come with you," Bernadette smiled up at her and the women walked away from the table towards the back.

Carly was washing her hands and looking up at her reflection, noticing a stray hair out of place, as she waited for Bernadette to finish in her stall.

When she did, Bernadette grinned, approaching the sink. "So Carly, do you think Sheldon was asking you out?"

Carly was stunned by the sudden question and she gaped at the short, smirking girl to her left. Was he? Is that what they thought? She frowned and finished washing her hands, thinking about it logically and trying not to get her hopes up. “Probably not. He was just being friendly." The idea of Sheldon being interested caressed a part of her she didn’t recognize and was a little scared of. She flattened her hair down with damp hands, willing herself to not think about it too much.

Bernadette shrugged though and washed her hands. "I’m not so sure. Leonard told Penny and Penny told me that Sheldon thinks you have nice skin.”

Carly stopped fixing her hair and looked over at Bernadette, mystified with a growing blush on her cheeks.

“He thinks I have nice skin?" She couldn’t help but let out a flattered, light laugh. “Well that’s a good thing, I suppose. He is germaphobic."

Bernadette gave her a sheepish grin. “Sounds like to me he thinks you’re attractive.” Carly stared at her, stunned. Sheldon couldn’t possibly think that about her.

Bernadette continued, bypassing Carly’s reaction. “It’s surprising because from all the time I’ve known Sheldon and from what I’ve heard about him, he’s never shown any interest in anyone before."

Carly wasn’t surprised to hear that. Her first impression of him came to her mind. “That doesn’t mean he has an interest in me though, I mean it’s Sheldon.”

Bernadette shook her head, disagreeing. “Look, you know Sheldon. How he is. Has he ever shown any interest in women? Talked about them? Anything?”

Carly thought back on their time together and came up with nothing. He hadn’t even mentioned a woman in her presence. Even Penny, who although was dating his roommate and gorgeous, didn’t capture his attention.

So if he had told Leonard that she had nice skin... had commented on her appearance and then all of a sudden asked her to the comic book store, it made sense didn’t it?

Carly was shocked at the revelation. No, that couldn’t be possible. Sheldon was scientific. He probably didn’t even realize what he had said. They were all probably reading too much into it.

Carly bit her lip in thought, while Bernadette finished washing her hands, wishing they hadn't said anything to her. She couldn’t help but examine her feelings she had been denying.

He was extremely intelligent and admittedly handsome. In addition to that, he had this way about him that she liked deep down. How he understood the universe and all of its particles but wore superhero shirts and ate pizza every Thursday. He was complex and interesting, and... she knew she liked him but he was so off-limits. He couldn’t even understand more than half of the social interactions he was in. Even if he did think she was attractive, he probably wouldn’t ever act on it.

If she allowed herself to get her hopes up that maybe, he felt the same way, she knew she would end up broken-hearted.

Carly idly followed Bernadette to the paper towels. After a thoughtful moment, she glanced up at Bernadette. “Do you think that it's possible he could like me? You know him better than me.”

Bernadette tilted her head in thought before concluding. "Maybe in his way, I think. Sheldon isn't normal so anything he does isn't going to be either. Plus, I don't think he’s realized it yet."

Carly mulled over Bernadette's words as they exited the bathroom to join the others for the rest of their dinner.

oO0Oo

Howard watched his girlfriend leave with Carly and then shook his head, looking back at his friends morosely. "I will never understand why women go to the bathroom in packs."

Raj raised his eyebrows and smiled fondly, thinking of something. "Well, in their defense, it can be quite a social event."

They all looked at him, confused by his response and how he would know that, causing Raj to look down at his food uncomfortably, avoiding their eyes.

After a pause, Leonard rounded on Sheldon, taking the opportunity with the girls gone for the moment.

"Sheldon, why did you ask Carly to come with us to the comic book store tomorrow?"

Sheldon squinted his eyes in confusion. "I don't understand. I thought you liked Carly."

Leonard rolled his eyes at Sheldon's obtuseness. "Of course I do. I don't care if she comes; I’m just wondering why you decided to ask her."

Sheldon raised his eyebrows, leaning back in his chair to ponder Leonard's words. He was silent for a long moment before he explained slowly as if trying the words on for size. "Well, she likes books and comic books are a small part of literature. I thought she might enjoy herself there."

Howard, who didn’t get the answer he had been wanting, huffed in frustration, before looking up at him from beneath his eyebrows. He needed him to understand what they were asking. “Sheldon. Are you sure there isn't another reason why you asked her to come with us?"

To their irritation, Sheldon stared blankly at Howard, trying to grasp what Howard was going for, but decidedly gave up. "I don't understand. Why are you all interested as to why I asked her to go? Was it supposed to be just us tomorrow and I wasn't aware of it?"

The guys rolled their eyes, unable to hide their contempt, and then Raj gave it a try. "Sheldon, let me ask you something. When you look at Carly, do you think she’s pretty? And if so, is that why you asked her to come?"

Sheldon opened his mouth to speak but Leonard cut in, sounding tired. "I already tried that Raj, he just told me she had nice skin."

Howard laughed at that, wishing he had heard the conversation. "Skin? Well… I suppose that is a step forward on Sheldon's asexual record."

Sheldon glowered at them, not appreciating how they were talking about him as if he wasn’t there and disapproving of their assumptions. “I'm not asexual, not that there’s anything wrong with being asexual. I just haven't felt the need to become tied down by someone cranky once a month, demands emotional affection, and needs coitus at least once a week."

Leonard scoffed, not appreciating the jab at his and Penny’s relationship, but Howard interjected with hope in his voice. “Until now, right?"

Sheldon was so confused and his body began twitching uncomfortably, hating the fact that he didn't understand something that was so obvious to his friends.

Leonard noticed this and glanced towards the bathroom doors, realizing they were running out of time to pull information out of Sheldon's head. "Sheldon, we’re just wondering if the fact that Carly has nice skin might be why you asked her to come."

Sheldon stopped and looked over at Leonard, finally thinking he understood where the question was going. “Well it's a contributing factor, I suppose. I wouldn't want to engage myself around someone that was unhygienic. Their germs would be too hard to stand next to."

The guys all grinned at each other, realizing that Sheldon might be hardheaded and oblivious, but he might be having some physical attraction to the brunette librarian. It was the best confession they were going to get at the moment.

"Should we be talking about germs at the dinner table?" Carly teased as she and Bernadette returned to the table, making all the guys, save for Sheldon, jump in surprise and turn to their plates hastily.

Sheldon then looked up at Carly, admiring her smile, his lips curving upwards at it unknowingly.

Bernadette did notice though and threw a wink over at Carly, making her look down with a bright red blush to try to finish eating.

”So, about Comic-Con. Are we all in?” Howard asked suddenly, trying to sound calm and like they hadn't just almost got Sheldon to admit his feelings for Carly.

Leonard, Sheldon, and Raj immediately became enthusiastic about it and Carly wondered what going to Comic-Con would be like.


	3. Chapter 3: Comic Book Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So, what do you think of new comic book night? Magic, right? "- Sheldon

Chapter 3: Comic Book Night

When Carly had come home after working another long shift at the Pasadena Library, she threw off her pencil skirt and blazer to don a pair of dark jeans and a white tank top, with criss-cross backing. It was an outfit Penny had helped her assemble and she felt nice in it.

She placed her kitten heels to the side and grabbed a pair of white sneakers. Comfortable, is what she thought, but then caught sight of her hair. It had been pulled up all day and when she had gotten into her car, she had tugged the hair tie out of it, desperate for relief on her scalp.

But now, it was a mess with a huge bulbous wave in the middle. Frowning, she dashed to her bathroom and grabbed the curling iron she rarely used.

When she finished taming her hair, proud of the waves she had made and how it framed her face, she froze, placing the curling iron down on her vanity.

Why was she dressing herself up?

But she knew why.

Bernadette’s words from the night before crossed her mind and she examined herself in the mirror. Did Sheldon really find her attractive?

The woman looking back at her was tired but had too bright of eyes. Her hair looked nice but her cheeks had a few blemishes. She stared at them, criticizing herself.

There was no way, she reminded herself and tried to force the glimmer of hope in her heart far, far away.

She unplugged the curling iron and made herself leave, unable to keep herself from lingering too long. She didn’t want to be late.

Two flights above her apartment, Carly posed her hand to knock on the door in front of her but was stopped short just before her knuckles could touch by her name whispered loudly behind her. Turning around, she saw Penny waving her over from her apartment doorway with a conspiratorial grin.

She approached her, unable to stop herself from smiling back.

“Hey! I heard you were going with the guys to the comic book store tonight. I love what you did with your hair!" Penny closed her door behind her, giving her a once over.

Carly blushed with a flattered smile, grabbing onto the ends of her brown hair with nerves. "Thanks.”

"May I ask why you decided to dress up a bit?" Penny asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Or should I say for who?”

Carly's blush got darker and she fought with herself. Did Penny assume Carly liked Sheldon back? "Sheldon asked me to go,” she told her, keeping her voice from wavering with effort.

Penny couldn't contain her knowing grin, crossing her arms over her chest. "Details!" She demanded in an excited, urgent whisper.

Carly bit the inside of her cheek, glancing backward at the closed door to Sheldon's apartment. Suddenly feeling the urge to blab to Penny about her insecurities, Carly exhaled a deep breath.

"I'm worried that this is all being overlooked and he is just being friendly. How could he possibly find me attractive?”

Penny frowned, seeming confused. “Have you looked at yourself? You’re gorgeous!”

Carly stared, stunned. How in the world did someone who looked like Penny think that? Carly was downright average.

Penny saw the look of insecurity and placed a hand on Carly’s arm. “Anyone with eyes can see it, Carly, even if you can’t.”

Carly felt vulnerable and crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes looking over at the broken elevator. “Even so, Sheldon couldn’t possibly think so too. He... well, he’s Sheldon.”

Penny released her and dropped her hands down to her sides with a slight slap when they made contact with her legs. “Trust me, sweetie, Sheldon- he has never, ever been like this.”

Carly squinted her eyes, not believing it. “What do you mean? Bernadette said something similar last night.”

Penny let out a breath and shifted on her feet, preparing herself to explain. “Okay, I’ve known Sheldon for a few years now. He has been uninterested in women. Something about how he is too evolved to stoop to that basic human level. We all thought he might not be human, honestly," she stated off-hand, thoughtfully. Carly looked over at her as she spoke, hanging onto each word. “But once you came into his life a couple of weeks ago, he has been… different."

Carly stopped at that and tilted her head curiously. "Different?" She repeated, not understanding.

Penny nodded, squinting her eyes as she thought over the past couple of weeks. "Sheldon hasn't been so…what's the word I am looking for, um… well, himself.”

Carly furrowed her eyebrows and Penny realized she wasn't making any sense. The blond took another deep breath, backtracking.

"Okay let me explain like this. He hates meeting new people, as you know.” Carly nodded, remembering that first dinner with him. “We had to bribe him to go and apologize to you, but he came back and was totally fine with you being around. Then, he starts talking about you. Little things, here and there. For example, the way you explained that new book you were reading. He talked about it for like thirty minutes. I stopped listening soon after he started but he went on and on.”

Carly was mystified by this information. She had been embarrassed by the fact that she had rambled on about that book, worried they had found her boring. Sheldon hadn’t even seemed interested in it at the time and had changed the subject rather quickly afterward.

Had he really thought it fascinating enough to talk about it again in detail to their friends after she had left?

“Maybe he just liked the book,” she denied, it couldn’t anything else right?

Penny snorted and laughed at the notion. “Liked? I’m pretty sure he bought it the next day.”

Carly bit her lip and looked down, feeling slightly disappointed. Yeah, he just liked the book. That didn’t mean he liked her.

Penny saw that she wasn't making her point clear enough so she continued. "And that isn't it. I’ve been watching him around you. It’s like his whole aura lights up. Like there is a brightness behind his eyes like when he watches Star Trek or plays with his model trains."

Penny caught the flash of curiosity in Carly's eyes and looked pleased with herself. “And it's there any time he talks about you.”

Carly wanted to wish it were true. Could it be? “Are you sure?”

Penny gave her a sad smile. “I wish you didn’t think so badly of yourself. Sheldon likes you. I’m sure of it. Leonard is trying hard to get him to admit it. It’s proving rather difficult because well, it’s Sheldon.”

Carly’s eyes trailed over to Sheldon’s door, a look of pure hope lingering on her face. “I hope you’re right because...” she stopped and looked back at Penny’s waiting face. “... I think I like him. I don’t know, it’s complicated.”

“Complicated?” Penny repeated, her eyebrows drawing together, not understanding.

Carly thought over her feelings for a moment before answering in a small, timid voice. “I’m scared.”

Penny’s face registered looks of understanding and sympathy. “I know and that’s okay. Romance? It’s scary. Movies make it seem so easy but it’s not.”

Carly nodded and looked down at the ground, worrying herself up into a tiff. She appreciated Penny’s understanding and everything she had told her. Carly felt like she understood the situation better.

Yet, she knew for a fact that she could never tell Sheldon her feelings. It would scare him off, even if he did subconsciously like her too.

In a moment of clarity, she looked back up. “Thank you, Penny, for making me feel better."

Penny looked touched at her words, then waved her off sheepishly. “That's what I’m here for. We're friends now."

Carly smiled, thankful that Penny was indeed her friend, then let out a sigh at the realization she would be late if she waited around much longer. “Well I probably should get over there,” she said with a jab of her thumb in the direction of the apartment behind her. “Sheldon wouldn’t approve of my tardiness.”

They both chuckled at the thought of him. Then Penny turned to her door. “Well, have fun sweetie. Oh!” She seemed to have a sudden thought and stopped Carly, giving her a warning. “Don’t let the creepy guys in the store freak you out. Fair warning; don't look them in the eyes!"

Carly wasn't sure how to take that information. "Okay," she said anyway, and then turned to knock on the guy’s door.

oO0Oo

Carly followed the guys into the comic book store, immediately feeling self-conscious as all eyes turned to her when she walked in.

She glanced around the room uncomfortable, realizing that this must have been what Penny had warned her about. She absently scooted closer to Sheldon, her hand grazing his shirt. He visibly tensed a little at the sudden proximity, but she didn’t notice.

"Um… why is everyone staring at me?" she asked meekly, wondering if she should regret coming with them.

Sheldon stepped away from her and glowered up at everyone, a look she had never seen him make. She was surprised to see all the stares stop at his expression and awkwardly resumed whatever they were doing prior.

Carly immediately felt her body relax when they were no longer staring. “Oh thank goodness,” she breathed in relief.

Leonard leaned over to her, from her other side. "It's because you’re a girl," he told her from the corner of his mouth.

"For these guys, they’ve probably never felt the warm presence of a woman, save for their mothers," Howard explained offhandedly as he moved past them towards the boxes full of comics, followed by Raj who nodded silently at her in confirmation.

Leonard sighed, then moved towards the boxes as well. Carly turned back to Sheldon but found him missing. She realized that he had walked away while they had been talking.

She curiously browsed the store, careful to not make eye contact with the other customers, and found him in the back. Next to him were racks of t-shirts and even more comics. She quickly walked over to him, avoiding the looks she got from the others.

Carly looked up at the wall of comics, chewing on her bottom lip as she recognized Batman and The Flash on the covers. She wasn't exactly ignorant upon the subject of Superheroes. She glanced up at the tall man who was squinting his eyes in determination, seeming to be looking for a particular booklet.

She felt shy all of a sudden, for the second time that night. The first time had been in the backseat, next to Sheldon. Being that close to him for twenty whole minutes? It had been the longest car ride she had ever endured.

And apparently from Leonard's remark when Sheldon had slid into the back seat, Sheldon always had sat passenger.

She had wondered if it was because of her, but Sheldon had explained quickly that if they were to be in an accident, he didn't want Leonard to break the front window by flying through it, causing a shard of glass to cut Sheldon's eye causing him to become blind.

He then told them that by sitting in the back, the front seats would protect him enough that if he closed his eyes quickly, he could avoid such events from happening.

It was a long explanation and had many flaws. It just made Carly more suspicious of him. That glimmer of hope became stronger and stronger.

She stood by his side. He didn’t look at her but she knew that he sensed her being there. Carly smiled at him. "What’s your favorite comic, Sheldon?"

Sheldon finally looked over at her, as if remembering she was there, and raised his eyebrows, before going back to his searching. "It's comic books and having only one favorite is highly overrated."

Carly took note of his correction, realizing that it must bug him if people called them comics. She said nothing on the subject and smiled, pleased she had him talking. "I agree. That is why I don't have one favorite color."

Sheldon turned to her then, smiling a little down at her and sending her heart beating wildly in her chest. Especially at his next words. “You intrigue me, Carly Bennett."

Carly wondered if he had meant to say it, but she accepted it nonetheless. Feeling light on her feet. “And you intrigue me, Dr. Cooper."

Sheldon seemed to like her words because his smile widened and she could see a hint of his teeth between his lips. It made her happy that she could pull this reaction from him.

He turned then and continued with his search. She grinned, delighted with the little moment they had, and gave her attention to the shirts in interest.

"Do you want one?"

His voice was a lot closer than she had expected and she jumped, almost knocking the rack closest to her over. She grabbed it for support, and to stop it from wobbling.

“I-I’m not exactly sure what shirts are what. I mean, I’ve seen you wear shirts with these symbols before and I assume the one with the bat is for Batman- but I’m pretty much in the dark about it.”

She had rambled, attempting to save herself from further embarrassment. She glanced over at him and he surprised her by taking a Batman shirt from the rack with a thoughtful expression.

“We should change that. I’ve been meaning to rewatch the Batman movies. Why don’t you come over tonight to watch them, then you’ll be worthy of wearing this.”

Heart jumping to her throat and her ears not believing what he had just said, she stared at him, dumbstruck.

This was the third time he had asked to spend time with her. This had to mean something, didn’t it?

He was staring at her in silence, his blue eyes running over her face, searching for her response and the meaning of her reaction.

She quickly composed herself, trying not to show just how thrilled she was at the idea of him liking her back.

"Okay. I don't work until late tomorrow anyway. Will we be eating take out?" she asked, wanting to divert the subject away from how she was feeling.

"Of course. Thai food is essential on Wednesdays," he told her as if she was crazy for even asking. Then, before she realized what was happening, he headed for the counter with the shirt in hand.

Carly paused for a beat, watching him walk away but then suddenly it dawned on her that he was about to buy her the shirt. She ran after him, not knowing that Raj, Leonard, and Howard had been watching them the whole time.

"Sheldon, don't buy me that," she protested, but he waved her off with a hand.

"Don't worry, you can't have it until you’ve watched all the Batman movies," he said with a little smirk, looking down at her pleading eyes. "And truthfully, I am being nice. If I wanted to make you truly worthy of wearing this shirt I would make you watch the old movies, the cartoon series, and read all the comic books."

Carly's protesting stopped, suddenly having an epiphany. He was wanting to spend time with her and was buying her something. Yes, he had to like her. He just had to. “Fine,” she conceded. “But now I’m in your debt. I’ll have to buy you something now."

Sheldon gave a reluctant shake of his head, "Well that would be the social protocol, but no. I don't want anything, so save your money."

It was Carly's turn to wave him off, not taking no for an answer. "No, I must now," she told him, then a thought came to mind. She smirked up at him. “But you must do something that I am interested in to deserve it."

Sheldon’s face screwed up in disgust, surprising her with the suddenness of it. "Carly, no offense, but I have no interest in cleaning dusty books. I could just go buy one."

Carly vaguely thought of the book he had bought after she had told him about, then laughed. "No! Just because I am a librarian, doesn't mean that’s all I do in my free time. I do have interests you know."

Sheldon raised his eyebrows at her, clearly shocked. "If not books, then what? How come you have never told me about them, then?"

Carly shifted under his gaze, confused as to why she suddenly felt guilty for not telling him even though she knew she had nothing to be guilty of. "I dunno. It’s never come up."

"Why not?"

Carly laughed again, finding his offense to not knowing her other interests adorable. "It just hasn't."

"Carly, if we are going to be friends, this is the kind of thing I ought to know,” Sheldon scolded.

Carly bit her lip. He was so cute. “Well then on Saturday morning, come over at nine and I’ll show you one of them.”

Sheldon stopped, seeming to be thinking her offer over. For a moment, he almost looked as if he was going to decline, but then nodded with a growing smile. "Okay. I will be there. But fair warning, if it has anything to do with sports, heights, or vigorous swimming, I am not going to promise anything."

Carly grinned up at him, knowing her eyes were twinkling in merriment. “Nope, it has nothing to do with any of those things. I promise.”

Sheldon, who always needed to know everything beforehand, thought for a moment but was surprised to come up with nothing. Carly was a mystery to him. “What, then?"

Carly realized she had him in suspense and that made her grin. "You'll see,” she told him ominously, then turned to go look at the display of action figures in triumph, leaving him to stare at her with his mouth gaped- not liking that she was keeping it a secret.

A worker appeared behind the counter before he could chase after her and demand her to tell him. With frustrating contempt, he turned and paid for the shirt, along with his subscriptions.

"Hello, can I help you find anything?" a man asked from behind Carly and she turned around, surprised to not find him familiar. He wasn't as tall as Sheldon but he was taller than the other guys and had dark, graying curly hair. He was smiling pleasantly enough and with the question he had asked her, she assumed he worked there.

"No thanks, I am just looking," she smiled politely at him, then turned her attention back towards the action figures, thinking he would leave her be.

"Uh—well that wasn't the only reason why I came over here," he spoke again and she turned to him once more, seeing him shift uncomfortably.

"It wasn't?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

He glanced down embarrassed and then smiled shyly up at her. "No. Um… well the only women I see come in here look like men, so when I see a beautiful girl like you, I can only ask if you were forced?"

She stared at him for a moment, not sure if she should laugh or be freaked out.

He seemed to realize this and he shoved his hands out in surrender. "Sorry," he smiled, even more embarrassed. "I was teasing."

Carly had a good feeling about him and figured he was harmless. She smiled at him kindly. "Oh, right."

While Sheldon was complaining that he was missing a new comic to the associate behind the counter, the other three of the group were watching the commotion between Stuart and Carly in interest. From past experiences, Stuart had been an odd, kind man but he lacked any sort of tact when it came to women. That being said, he was different from most nerds like them with the fact he could walk up to them and at least attempt to woo them.

"Do you think Stuart is trying to hit on Carly?" Howard asked idly, as they all continued to stare at the two in interest.

Leonard's eyebrow quirked as he watched the two laugh. "It would seem so."

Raj sulked, looking back down at the comic books in front of him. "Why am I cursed with this problem of not being able to talk to them? Was I created to be alone for my whole life?"

Howard waved him off with a wry grin, "Maybe if you would spend less time whining and pray more often to your holy cow then it would happen."

Raj glared at Howard, offended her would say such a thing. "That was uncalled for and I am only going to let it go because we are going to the movies tonight."

That made Howard’s smile fall and he looked up at Raj through pained eyes, while Leonard glanced at them. "Raj, how many times do I have to tell you that when I say we, I mean Bernadette and myself."

"You didn't clarify who when you said it. You just said we. So sorry if I am used to being the one you spend the most time with," Raj told him grumpily.

Howard rolled his eyes and slammed his hand on the box, appealed that he would complain like that. "Stop being so upset about it. You are making me upset and we both know how it is when both of us get upset."

Raj slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Fine, but you better take some time out for me too."

Howard sighed, defeated, and putting a finger to the bridge of his nose, tired. "Fine."

Raj glared at his tone. "You don't have to sound unhappy about it."

Howard glared back at him. "I'm not, Raj! I am just tired of having to schedule my relationship around you."

"Well if you—"

"Love birds! Sheldon's coming," Leonard interjected with all too much enthusiasm, and they both shut up, ignoring each other grumpily as they looked down at the comics.

"Hey, guys. I hope you don't mind if Carly comes over tonight to watch Batman. We are going to be watching both of the movies back to back," Sheldon said with a small smile, holding his paper bag of comic books in one hand and flipping through the boxes with the other.

Leonard was surprised and happy to hear that. “Why would we? Although, Howard and Bernadette have a date tonight so it will just be us and Raj."

Raj grumbled. "No, I think I'll just go home. I'll see you guys later," he said miserably and headed for the counter to retrieve his subscriptions, then disappeared out the door without another word.

Sheldon seemed confused by the atmosphere. Leonard was annoyed.

Howard sighed, exasperated. "My goodness, it's like having a second girlfriend," he muttered before saying his goodbye to the guys, getting his comics, then leaving himself.

Sheldon then turned to Leonard. "What just happened?"

Leonard sighed, shaking his head at his roommate. "You don't want to know."

Sheldon thought about asking him to elaborate, but then he decided he didn’t care enough and shrugged.

Leonard glanced over at Carly while Sheldon looked down at the books before him, frowning down at them. Stuart looked put out before waving goodbye and leaving a remorseful smiling Carly. Leonard kind of hoped that it meant that Carly had turned Stuart's advances down.

"You do know that if you are trying to find new comic books in here, then it’s absolutely a waste of time," Sheldon pointed out suddenly, causing Leonard to break out of his thoughts, then remembered.

Leonard nodded once with slight irritation. "Right, subscriptions," he muttered to himself before turning away and signing himself up for new comics at the counter.

Carly approached Sheldon’s side then and grinned up at him. "Hey, did you get your new comic books?"

Sheldon looked up at her, unable to stop himself from smiling slightly. "Of course."

"Which ones?" she asked curiously, peering down at his stack of books in his arm.

Sheldon raised an eyebrow at her curiosity before glancing down at them too. “Well you won't know what any of them are, but I suppose it won't hurt to tell you," he told her, turning to her all the way and getting that twinkle in his eye when he talked about something that excited him.

Carly got entranced by it, admiring his reaction to things that made him happy.

“Batman Gates of Gotham, X-men vs. Avengers, and The Amazing Spiderman."

Carly smirked up at him. “Well, actually I am aware of who those are. I do work at a library and we sell some comic books," she informed him, glad that she knew this, hoping it impressed him.

"Oh right," he said with a slightly dazed look before Leonard hollered over to them to signal that he was ready to leave.

The trio stopped to pick up Thai food on the way home and once again, Sheldon sat in the backseat alongside Carly. This time she more comfortable and she talked casually to both Leonard and Sheldon instead of being completely silent like the car ride to the comic book store. The fact that she was almost positive he liked her gave her a small amount of confidence she had needed.

After eating around the coffee table, they were halfway done with the movie Batman Begins and Carly surprised herself by being rather intrigued by it.

Leonard frequently would glance over at the two from his seat in the armchair, still trying to believe what he was seeing. Carly was sitting next to Sheldon on the couch. Neither of them was aware that they were sitting close to one another and that when one of them moved the other one did.

At one point Leonard had to hold back a laugh when they both reached out to grab a leftover crab ragoon and ended up bumping hands because they had gone to pick the same one up. Carly had blushed fiercely and Sheldon had politely let her take it.

That surprised him. Sheldon was being courteous without anyone having to tell him.

As the movie wore on, Leonard's phone vibrated and he took it out to see that Penny had texted him.

Hey sweetie. Come over. I need details and you should leave them alone together. See what happens.

After reading the message he shifted and sat up straighter, sniffling, and glancing from the movie to the couple on the couch. "Um… I’m gonna go see how Penny is doing. She told me to come over later to see her.”

Carly watched Leonard stand and walk over to the door, Sheldon seemed to ignore him but then said one thing, "If you’re going to engage in coitus, please keep it over there."

Leonard huffed in indignation, stopped to glare at Sheldon with the door in his hand before he said goodnight to Carly, and closed the door behind him. He sure hoped something good would come of this.

Carly suddenly realized in alarm that they were now alone. She changed a glanced over at Sheldon and he was seemingly unaffected by this. He was staring intently at the TV screen, mouthing the words to the movie as he had been doing throughout it.

Carly trailed her eyes over his handsome face, over the green lantern shirt he wore, down to see his right hand on his knee. She bit her lip to fight the urge to take it into hers. He would freak out.

Plus, she didn’t think she had the nerve to do it anyway. The fear of rejection was mortifying.

So she tried to focus back on the movie but found it harder to do so now that they were alone. She thought about asking him a dumb question about the movie just to hear him talk and have him pay attention to her for a split second, but she knew he didn't like it when people spoke during movies. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and glanced down before looking back up at the movie. She was a coward.

"What's wrong?"

Carly's eyes snapped to his concerned face. "Nothing,” she said immediately, sounding rather guilty.

"Then why did you sigh? Most people that sigh are sad, depressed, bored, or exasperated," he told her, trying to figure her out and pausing the movie which made the room become defiantly silent and made her cheeks burn with embarrassment.

"I'm just tired," she lied, forcing a reassuring smile up at him. “It’s all right.”

He frowned, looking worried. "Would you like to save this for a different day when you aren't overly fatigued?"

Carly then gave him a true smile, appreciating his concern. "No, it's quite all right. Continue with the movie."

Sheldon accepted her answer and nodded, then played the movie again. A couple of moments passed and she wondered if she would even be able to focus on it again.

Then paused it again, and Sheldon shifted in his seat to look at her. She looked back at him, beginning to feel self-conscious with how his gaze was suddenly searching.

"Why did you pause the movie?" she asked, warily.

"Did Stuart ask you on a date?" he asked out of the blue and she widened her eyes at the question.

"What?" She didn’t know what to say.

Sheldon then looked down, uncomfortable for a second as he thought over something, before staring at her seriously. "Forgive me. The man who talked to you over at the action figures when we were at the comic book store, his name is Stuart and he owns the store. I saw you guys talking—"

"I know who he is," she suddenly smiled, finding him cute when he didn’t understand social situations, and stopping him from mumbling on. "And yes, he did."

Carly was surprised at how taken aback Sheldon looked. His eyes were wide and his mouth was slightly agape. His whole body was leaning back as if the air had been knocked out of him.

"I said no though," she said hastily with her hands raising out in front of her and she watched in awe when he visibly relaxed.

"Thank God," he breathed, and then he turned back to the movie and played it.

Carly frowned, off-balance. That was it? She sat there for a moment, replaying the situation that just happened.

Sheldon had seemed upset by the fact that Stuart had asked her out. The confirmation of his feelings was then brought up to eighty-five percent. Her heart fluttered in her chest at the thought. Was this true? She had to know.

"Sheldon?"

He paused the movie again, looking at her with a raise of his eyebrow. He seemed unruffled in the slightest.

"Why did you ask?" she made herself ask. She was scared of what his answer would be but he was pulling her around and she had to know for sure. Her heart couldn’t take it.

Sheldon looked speechless for a moment before he thought up something. "Stuart has asked out many women that have walked into his store, including Penny. He is an odd creature and I was just wondering if I needed to warn you of his notions with women."

Carly raised her eyebrows at him, wondering if that was just an excuse or if it was the real reasoning. "What notions? He seemed nice enough."

Sheldon was stunned. "Nice enough—no. He owns a comic book store, Carly. He is not exactly the "women guru" as Wolowitz calls it. You saw what kind of guys are in there, he is just the same. They're all creepy."

Carly looked baffled. "Sheldon, you go in there and you aren't creepy."

Sheldon realized he had messed up his excuse. "Uh-um, I mean. I'm not creepy. B-But I am a theoretical physicist and he just owns a comic book store. You wouldn't want to go out with him."

Carly couldn't contain her smile at that so she bit her lip. Make that ninety-five percent positive he liked her. He had been trying to make justifications for his real reasoning but he had admitted what the truth was without realizing it.

She was surprised at the flirty response that came out of her mouth, "And what if I wanted to go out with a guy that owned a comic book store?"

Sheldon looked like a deer in headlights. His mouth twitched and then his eye did. "Uhm—a woman like you? You'd look better on the arm of…" His voice cracked and he had to lean over and take a drink of his diet coke.

Carly had to refrain from grinning now. It seemed like he knew exactly who she would look better on the arm of.

“On the arm of who, Sheldon?" she asked anyway, making him anxious as he tried to think of something else to say. "You?"

It was bold and a couple of weeks ago she would have never said it to a man no matter how much she liked them. But he made her feel different. He was different. He hadn't been interested in anyone and he had a sudden curiosity in her. That had to mean something, didn’t it?

He stared at her mortified with his mouth open; not knowing what to say to her. Carly glanced down at her hands that were starting to sweat. There was no going back now.

Sheldon somehow found the words he had been searching for because he composed himself for a moment. "Someone like me, I suppose."

Carly looked up at him from under her lashes and his eyes flashed down to the floor uncomfortably, no longer able to look at her in the eyes.

Carly’s heart pumped loudly in her ears and she swallowed down her nerves before murmuring, “There isn't anyone like you."

Sheldon nodded slowly, still staring down at the floor. “I know… but just in case."

Carly decided to take pity on him. He was wildly uneasy and she was just making it worse. He looked positively scared. She knew how that felt. She didn't want him to admit to things he wasn't ready to, but now she had peace of mind. That was all she needed.

"Well,” she said suddenly, in a different tone, catching his attention. “If I’m going to wear that shirt, we best be getting on with the movie.”

That seemed to calm him and he nodded again, sitting up straighter on the couch and hitting the play button on the remote. She heard him breathe heavily next to her and she tried not to get too antsy.

Sheldon Cooper liked her.

The rest of the movie was silent with no more interruptions and so was the next movie. Soon she was saying goodbye and had left the apartment, leaving Sheldon alone to clean up the coffee table and head to bed.

His mind kept him awake for a long time, unable to stop himself from thinking of Carly’s eyes and the way she made him feel.


	4. Chapter 4: Carly’s Hobby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'd like you to meet Oppenheimer, Frisch, Panofsky, Feynman, Weisskopf." -Sheldon

Chapter 4: Carly's Hobby

The rest of the week Carly kept herself busy- at work and home. Ever since she had watched Batman with Sheldon, she refused to go to their apartment for dinner. She couldn’t bring herself to.

She was terrified of what his reaction would be, now worried it would be awkward between them. But also because she desperately hoped she hadn’t imagined it all.

The more she thought about it, the more she had convinced herself that it couldn’t be possible that Sheldon could like her. It was Sheldon.

No, Carly knew it was because she was lonely and desperate for her own love story that she was seeing things the way she wanted to see them- not how they actually were.

She needed to drop the romance novels. They had messed with her head.

Saturday rolled around and she still hadn’t seen him. Penny had texted her on Friday, asking if she was all right, but Carly had assured her that she was just busy and tired from work. It wasn’t technically a lie. She had run herself ragged at work, trying to keep her mind off of anything Sheldon.

Unfortunately, it seemed like everyone and their brother had wanted to check out a superhero book of some kind. It had irked her.

When she woke up that Saturday morning, she wasn’t sure how to feel. Would he even show up, as they had planned?

She didn't know if she should get her hopes up, but then again she felt that she knew Sheldon well enough to know he never made a plan he didn't intend to keep.

So she started her day as if he would be showing up and dressed in jeans and her Batman shirt he had bought her. She hadn't worn it since he had handed it to her Wednesday night after watching both Batman movies and she figured that it fit that she wore it today.

She honestly didn't know if he would like where she was planning on taking him. It had been the first thing she had thought of. She hoped it would be okay.

If he showed, that is.

She had eaten breakfast already and was checking her watch frequently as the time ticked closer to nine, terrified to both see him or not see him.

Knock, knock, knock.

Carly froze and quit breathing, her eyes snapping over to her door. She dropped the Geographic magazine she had been pretending to read and stood on shaky legs.

All right, this was it.

She stood from her couch and flattened her hair that hung loosely around her shoulders and pulled her shirt down to adjust it, making sure she looked presentable.

When she opened the door, sweating and a mess, she was stunned to see a bright blond standing before her, grinning.

"Hey!” Penny greeted, seemingly glad to see her.

"H-Hey Penny, what’s up?”

Penny noticed her odd voice and anxious face. “You thought I was Sheldon, right?”

Carly sighed, unable to hide her disappointment. Or relief, she wasn’t sure which one it was. “Yeah but it's okay, come in.”

Carly gave her a small smile and opened the door completely, letting the blond in.

"I won't stay long because Sheldon should be arriving soon—Leonard told me," Penny explained when she saw Carly's questioning look. "But I wanted to know what was going on with you two? I haven't seen you since Wednesday? I hope everything went okay.”

Carly crossed her arms over her chest uneasily, thinking back on that day. "Well everything was fine and we were watching Batman together and then he suddenly asked me if Stuart had asked me out while we were at the comic book store. And I said yes he did, then wondered why he had asked. So he said that he wanted to warn me about Stuart. And I asked him why. And he said because a girl like me shouldn't go out with a guy like Stuart. And I asked him why again. And he said because he is a theoretical physicist and Stuart owns a comic book store. And then I asked him what if I wanted to be with someone who owns a comic book store, and then he said that a woman like me should be on the arm of someone like him. And then I said that there wasn't someone like him. And he agreed." She took a long deep breath and Penny stared at her amazed at how long Carly could talk without breathing… and how fast.

"Wow," Penny murmured, eyes wide.

"I'm sorry. When I get upset, I ramble," Carly explained helplessly, putting her face in her hands.

"No, no, don't worry about it. So do I," Penny sympathized. “But what I meant was, wow. Sheldon kind of admitted to liking you."

Carly let her hands fall to her sides, looking at Penny with worried eyes. “It’s all I have thought about.”

Penny frowned, not understanding what was wrong. “Is this a bad thing?”

Carly huffed, crossing her arms again and looking to the air beside her in thought. “I don’t know what to believe. Sheldon... he isn’t like most guys. He is germaphobic, a genius, awkward, and completely in love with his job. There’s absolutely no way he would like someone like me. Or anyone for that matter. I just don’t get it and to be honest, it’s kind of too good to be true.”

Penny worried her lip and took a step towards her after a couple of seconds. “Look, honey... From what you’ve told me, you’ve had a really tough life. It’s completely understandable to feel the way you do.”

Carly shifted under her gaze, feeling vulnerable.

Penny sighed. “Carly, Sheldon likes you. Even after everything, he still likes you. I know he does. He is beyond excited to spend the day with you and hasn’t shut up about it. It’s honestly driving us all crazy. It’ll be a relief when today is over.”

Carly’s lips curved upwards at that, knowing Penny was trying to cheer her up. She sobered a little, feeling scared again. “Do you honestly think he likes me? It’s not just everyone’s imagination?”

Penny smiled at her and reached out, squeezing her shoulder. “I honestly do.”

Carly let herself smile gratefully at Penny. “Thanks, Penny. You're a great friend."

Penny pulled back her arm and grinned. "I know!" Then she caught sight of the time from her watch and dashed to the door. "I gotta go. Have fun with Sheldon today."

"He is for sure coming?" Carly asked, following her to the door. She just needed confirmation so she could stop worrying.

"Penny turned as she walked, "I saw him getting ready before I came down. Don’t worry sweetie, it’ll be fine," she said with a wink and then headed down the stairs towards the lobby with a last wave.

Carly waved back, a smile on her face, feeling much better than before. She closed the door and walked over to the mirror that hung on her wall next to the door, checking her appearance over just to make sure. If Sheldon was coming like Penny said he was, she didn’t want to look like an emotional mess.

Not a moment later, did she hear it.

 _Knock knock knock._ “Carly.” _Knock knock knock._ “Carly.” _Knock knock knock._ “Carly.”

Her heart almost jumped out of her chest at the sound of his voice. She licked her lips, trying to calm herself down, and grabbed for the doorknob.

When she pulled the door open, she was taken aback by how handsome he looked. He didn’t look different, not really. He wore dark purple pants and a red Flash t-shirt with a brown long sleeve shirt underneath, pushed up to his elbows as usual. But something about seeing him there in her doorway, looking down at her from his height, with those bright blue eyes... it struck a chord in her.

She felt herself smiling. His eyes dropped to it, taking it in before traveling back up to her eyes.

"Hello, Carly.”

"Hi," she murmured, unable to take her eyes off of him. It felt like it had been longer than just a couple of days since she had last seen him. She cleared her throat, realizing she was stalling. “Um, ready to go?"

He nodded and she grabbed her keys from the hook next to her door, then locked her apartment so they could walk down the stairs together.

"Can you tell me where we are going now?" Sheldon suddenly asked from beside her, sounding impatient.

Carly couldn’t help but laugh and felt the tension from before break, “No, Sheldon. It's a surprise."

"I didn't make it a surprise when I had you watch Batman," he pointed out as they walked out the apartment building and towards her car parked on the side of the street.

"I know, but I have a feeling that you’d back out if I told you," she told him in amusement, pressing the button on her key ring, hearing the doors unlock to her car. They both climbed in and put their seat belts on.

"That’s possible. But wouldn't this count as kidnapping since technically you aren't letting me make my own decision to do this or not?" he asked as she turned the car on and immediately turned the AC on as it was super-hot inside, even for a Summer morning.

Carly laughed at his words as he adjusted the vent in front of him. "Not unless you call it willingly being kidnapped. You didn't have to agree to come."

Sheldon snapped his mouth closed, realizing she had a valid argument, but wanting to pursue it further he said, "I had to agree. You did something for me, now I have to do something for you. It's social protocol between friends."

Carly paused at the word, 'friends', but said nothing on the matter. "Exactly, but it's up to me whether or not I want to make it a surprise and I’m making it a surprise."

Sheldon huffed as they drove but discontinued the argument. Carly smiled as she drove, already relaxing in his presence. He was just like before and it was a relief. She had been so worried he would be different with her after their last meeting.

She glanced over at him, smelling something familiar waft in her direction, he was staring thoughtfully out the window as she drove. He must have taken a shower before arriving at her apartment and he smelled heavily of baby powder. She bit her lip, not able to understand the scent but liked it nonetheless. She wasn’t sure if she had noticed it before.

Sheldon couldn't hold silent for very long. “Can you give me a hint, then?"

Carly glanced over at him again, forcing back a laugh at how much of a childlike plead he was using. So she thought, maybe to appease him a little. “Um… where we are going holds something inside of it. And you have told me you like this something.”

Sheldon gasped in excitement. "The model train store?"

Carly shook her head with a grin, "Nope." Of course, that would be his first guess, she laughed inwardly at the thought.

"Drat," Sheldon slumped in his seat but then tilted his head with a nod. "That wouldn't be right anyway, considering you said this is one of your interests and you don't know much about trains."

Carly let out a laugh. “You’re right.”

He then perked up but then slumped again, apparently going against his idea without revealing it.

After a while, he decided to give up for now and she caught herself glancing at him every so often, unable to help herself. She couldn’t believe it. How someone like him possibly could like someone like her. It just didn’t add up.

How was she supposed to believe it?

"You’re wearing your shirt,” Sheldon suddenly broke through her thoughts and she realized she had been frowning out at the road. She relaxed her face and looked over at him, seeing his eyes snap upwards to her face.

She assumed he was looking at her shirt. She glanced down at it. “Oh! Yeah, I am. I thought it was appropriate, ya know cause I’m worthy of it now.”

Sheldon smirked as she gave him a teasing smile. “That you are. Next time I’ll have you watch the older movies. I think you’ll like them.”

Carly was happy to hear that he still wanted to spend time with her. It made her heart flutter, thinking of them snuggling on a couch watching old Batman movies.

Ugh, she stopped herself. No way would there be snuggling. He could barely handle handshakes and preferred not to even do them.

A relationship with him would be difficult, she realized. If they ever made it that far, how would it even work? Carly knew she would want to hug and kiss, do more... she blushed at the thought and tried to look composed in case he looked her way.

Would he have that exception with her or would they never touch?

She kept those thoughts to herself and focused on driving. They weren’t even dating so she shouldn’t get ahead of herself.

oO0Oo

Carly pulled into a parking spot in front of a modest building and Sheldon stared at it blankly, reading the sign in front of it. “Burbank Animal Shelter?"

Carly nodded with a shy smile and hopped out of the car before she lost her nerve. Sheldon followed her, still staring up at the building confused. "You drove thirty minutes to come to an animal shelter? This is your hobby?"

Carly led him to the door. "Yep, I used to come here all the time when I lived here. Now that I live over in Pasadena, I haven’t been back.”

Sheldon looked wary, eyeing the door suspiciously. "I’m not sure I want to do this, Carly. What if they have an extremely sick animal in there? What if it jumps species? What if I die because of this?"

Carly rolled her eyes at his outlandish worries and took his hand without thinking to pull him inside. He snatched his hand away from her like he had been burned, stunning her, and he darted his eyes away uneasily. She cleared her throat, regretting her absentminded blunder. “Don't be silly, Sheldon. Trust me. It's fine."

Sheldon glanced inside the window with anxiety again but then caught Carly’s gaze. She tried to give him a reassuring smile and she was relieved to see him relax slightly. He nodded slowly and she smiled brightly at him, then opened the door and led him inside.

"Hey, sweet pea! Long time no see!"

A woman slightly taller than Carly greeted with a heavy southern accent from behind the counter. She had dirty blond hair that was held back in a ponytail and her overly tanned skin held laugh lines on her face. She looked about fifty and she was incredibly happy to see Carly.

Sheldon watched her move towards Carly with open arms, intending to hug her he assumed but stopped short when she spotted him by the door. “Well my, my. Who do we have here?"

Carly glanced behind her to see Sheldon glancing around the room uneasily as if looking for a reason to leave. Carly looked back at the woman with a growing blush, "Bea, this is Sheldon Cooper. He lives two floors above me."

At his name, Sheldon looked over at the woman called Bea again and she raised her eyebrows at him, then went back to Carly.

"Not even there a full month girly and you already got yourself a boyfriend? The city did wonders for you, sweetie," Bea said then gave Sheldon another once over, seeing something she hadn’t noticed before. "You got yourself a tall one too. Good pickin'."

Carly wanted to cover Bea’s mouth with her hand to get her to stop and was sure Sheldon was extremely uncomfortable by it. "Uhm, no we aren't together. Just friends," Carly told her, hurrying to make the situation right.

Bea didn't look sorry but she apologized. "Well, come here honey. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

Carly let out a little laugh and happily embraced the woman. “It's only been a couple of weeks. How much damage has been done without me?" she teased as they released each other.

Bea laughed a hoarse laugh and Sheldon frowned at it, not knowing what was funny. He then watched Carly move towards the counter, peering over it with a grin. He became curious so he followed her to see a pin where a temporary habitat was set up for a pure white bunny behind the counter. He couldn't help but let a smile appear on his face at it. It was adorable, after all.

He couldn’t help but think the animal was lucky it wasn’t locked up in a cage for cosmetic testing.

"Oh, girl! You know we do better with your tender touch around here. Hoppy there has been missing you," Bea told her with a fond laugh, walking over to the pen and petting the bunny behind his ears.

Carly grinned while standing up straight, and then looked up at Sheldon. She caught his little smile and it made her heart skip a beat. So he liked animals? That was a relief. “Do you want to go see what I brought you here for?" She asked him and he jumped as if startled.

Sheldon took a step back, realizing he had been caught smiling at a rabbit, and frowned, but nodded wanting to restore his masculinity. "I suppose. But I must say Hoppy is a rather stereotypical name to give a rabbit."

Bea raised her eyebrows at his offensive statement and Carly’s mouth fell open, suddenly uncomfortable. She should have expected him to show himself like this in front of Bea. "I thought it was a good name,” she murmured, feeling a little stung by the comment all the same.

Sheldon snorted, crossing his arms over his chest and rolling his eyes. “Sure, if you’re a hippie.”

A hippie... Carly frowned and looked away. Sheldon had referred to love as something a hippie experienced before. He always made it sound so insulting. The hope she had for him faltered a little.

She cleared her throat, trying to save face. “Let’s just go.” She headed for the back of the building where the animals were kept.

Once Carly was out of immediate earshot, Bea stopped Sheldon, who had made a move to follow, with a question. “Sweetie, you don't have a clue do you?"

He paused and looked over at her, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “If you are referring to what you are talking about, no. I don't.”

Bea placed her hands on her hips, not appreciating his tone. “Sheldon, isn't it? Well Sheldon, look. If you are going to be around that young lady you better start being more considerate of her feelings. Couldn't you tell that she was upset when you insulted her?”

Sheldon gaped, not understanding. He replayed what he had said and came up with absolutely nothing. “But I didn’t insult her. I was referring to the rabbit.”

Bea blinked, wondering where on earth Carly had found such a man. “She named the rabbit,” she informed him, giving him a pointed look.

Sheldon's eyes widened at the realization and he instantly felt guilty. “Oh.”

Bea raised an eyebrow and took a step towards him, pointing at him with a finger. He took a step backward, not comfortable with the proximity. “That girl in there is sweet, caring, and loving. Now if you guys have anything going on then you best be watching out for her, including paying closer attention to her feelings."

Sheldon didn't know what to say to that. This woman called Bea vaguely reminded him of his mother. But she wasn't and he was just about to call her out on it but then he wondered something. "Do you care a lot for Carly?"

Bea was not expecting his response. "Yes, why of course I do. She is like a daughter to me.”

Sheldon nodded with understanding. "Well, I have a difficult time assessing others feelings, but I can assure you I will do my best to be more thoughtful of her feelings."

Bea seemed to accept his answer and that was a good thing considering Carly returned and looked between them expectantly. "Sheldon, are you coming?"

Sheldon looked over at her and nodded, then went to join her. "Yes of course and I think Hoppy is a wonderful name for a rabbit, most in particular that one."

Carly blinked, shocked by the sudden enthusiasm, if not overly done, for the rabbit’s name. She looked over at Bea for answers but she just grinned with a wink.

She felt a smile grow on her face, ducking her head a little as she looked at Bea. She must have said something to him. Whatever it was, she appreciated it.

She then turned to lead Sheldon to where she hoped he wouldn’t freak out.

She stopped in front of a door to the side. “I opened all their cages so be careful to not let any of them out," she warned as she carefully opened the door and looked in, before moving herself cautiously through the door. She grinned, watching him do the same.

Sheldon closed the door behind him and then turned. He saw so many different breeds of cats that he had trouble keeping up with his thoughts as he said the names of them in his head. "Wow."

Carly beamed at his reaction and looked around her, finding a small white and black cat to scratch it behind the ears. "I’ve volunteered here for a few years now. All these cats are adoptable and vaccinated, and there’s nothing wrong with them, so you don't have anything to worry about - like diseases jumping species or biting you to turn you into Catwoman," she teased as she watched him freeze and tense up as cats brushed themselves up against his legs.

He glared up at her, not appreciating the joke at his expense. "I never said anything about turning into Catwoman. And if we are being technical here I would be a Catman and Catwoman was never bitten by a cat. She just saw herself as a feline," he said, struggling to stand on his tiptoes as he tried to move away from the cats in desperation. To no avail though, they seemed to enjoy his company.

Carly frowned at the sight. "I thought you liked cats. You told me before...”

Sheldon looked at her in a panic, his eyes wide in fear. "I do. I just don't trust them."

Carly didn’t know what that meant but whatever it was made sense to him. She went to a cupboard and grabbed a treat bag. At the sound of the crinkle of the bag, all of the cats in the room came running for her.

Sheldon sighed loudly in relief once he was standing alone. She vaguely saw him examining the cages, probably to make sure they were clean to his standards, while she made sure to give each cat a treat of their own.

She glanced up at him again, wondering something.

"Sheldon, would you like to feed them a couple of treats too?" she asked him, causing him to pause and look at her then the cats, panic suddenly reappearing in his eyes.

"I… I don't know. I think I'm okay," he said, shrugging and waving her off, attempting to hide his uneasiness from her.

Carly sighed. She didn’t want to push him if he was uncomfortable but she had a feeling he was just overwhelmed. Perhaps bringing them all out at once to surprise him had been a bad idea.

She fed all of the cats a treat except the small white and black one, who was pleading with her by her feet. She picked him up in her arms and stood, then walked over to Sheldon.

Sheldon's eyes widened and stared down at the cat. He tried to back away but she caught his wrist quickly and watched him seize up at the touch. “Carly, I do not think that this is a good idea.” He licked his lips uneasily.

Carly let go of him and spoke to him gently. "Sheldon give me your hand."

Sheldon stuck out his chin. "No."

"Sheldon, come on."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please Sheldon!" she practically shouted, getting frustrated with his persistence, but surprising herself at the outburst.

He almost stomped his foot and she bit her lip, wondering if she was just pushing her luck. Then, ever so slowly, she saw him place his hand out, palm up in front of her face.

"Fine, but you could have asked nicely,” he said, his voice indignant but she could see it in his eyes he was forcing himself.

She felt guilty then. She glanced down at his hand, still waiting, and she took a deep breath. This had been what she wanted right? To touch him? Even as innocent as giving a cat a treat?

Carly used her free hand to place the treat delicately in his hand, her fingers brushing his palm softly. It was ridiculous, she thought, as she felt little tingles spread through her fingers at the soft touch.

Carly shifted uncomfortably and dropped her hand to return to the subject at hand, not wanting to freak him out with her weird feelings. “This is Oreo. He's my favorite. I found him in a shoebox behind the dumpster outside. He was just a kitten."

She watched Sheldon carefully pick the treat up with his fingers and gingerly held it out for the cat that was desperately trying to get to it from Carly’s arms. Oreo’s head was upside down and his eyes had dilated.

It was an endearing sight.

Surprisingly, Oreo didn't eat his fingers and was satisfied with the treat. Carly set him down to let him wander with the other cats, smiling at them fondly.

"You named him Oreo?" Sheldon asked, his voice and face hinting that he was about to insult her again. Or her name choices. Were they that bad?

She raised her eyebrows at him as if daring him to say anything about her name choice, and he caught the look, dropping his eyes as if he was a kid being caught in the cookie jar.

She crossed her arms across her chest and looked around at all the cats, feeling rather put out. "I thought you would like this."

"It's nice…” he reluctantly admitted, which did make her feel better. “But what am I going to get out of it?" he asked, cutting to the chase and she couldn’t help but roll her eyes with a smile.

"Is that the only reason why you wanted to come?"

Sheldon looked aghast at her assumption. "Of course not! I was just curious."

Carly laughed, and gave him a knowing “mmhm” and began returning the cats to their cages. She had two in their cages when she saw Sheldon staring at her, his eyebrows knitted together.

"What?” She asked with a hesitant smile.

His eyes wandered around the room, looking at each cat before shrugging. "I will help.”

She watched in stunned silence as he began scooping up cats and putting them in their respectable cages. He had noticed their pictures on the outside of their doors to make sure they went into the right one.

One of the cats in her arms tried to escape, probably realizing that he was going to be put up, and brought her attention back. Collecting herself, she placed the cats in her arms in their cages and helped Sheldon with the rest.

She put the bag of treats back into the cupboard, but as she did, a small plastic container from the top shelf fell and almost hit her in the head.

Gasping, she sprung backward in shock and stared at the offending object for a couple of beats, realizing what had happened.

"Are you all right?” Sheldon asked her from behind, sounding far away and concerned.

"Yeah, I’m fine. It just startled me is all,” she laughed lightly at herself and picked the container up. She looked up at the top shelf and figured she could reach it.

Standing on her tiptoes, she went for it but was dismayed to realize she was an inch too short to get it back up there.

Grunting in an effort, she didn’t notice Sheldon approaching her until he was standing close - too close, and his long arm went out to grab the container from her hand.

She froze and idly thought she may die, feeling his arm and the side of his chest brush up against her as he slid the container onto the top shelf.

"Don’t you know how to ask for help?” He questioned her and she felt her face burn. Was this happening?

"Uh, yes,” she replied dumbly, not hearing herself over the sound of her loud heartbeat.

As soon as he stepped away from her she realized that she had stopped breathing. She let it out slowly, not wanting to draw attention to herself. Sheldon probably hadn’t even noticed her reaction.

She made herself close the cupboard and they left the room, neither saying anything to each other and avoiding their gazes.

Soon they were saying goodbye to Bea and were on the road again back to Pasadena. Sheldon had admitted that he enjoyed himself. Although he had initially been wary of the health of the animals, after closely examining the cages, he agreed that they were well taken care of.

"So what do I get?" Sheldon asked once more, as he looked out the passenger window. He was attempting to hide in his eagerness.

Carly jumped out of her thoughts, the movement catching his attention and he looked over at her to see her give him a tiny smile.

"Hang on," she told him as she turned the steering wheel to drive the little ways to the mall.

Happy New Years!


	5. Chapter 5: Will You Be My Girlfriend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I believe I would like to alter the paradigm of our relationship." - Sheldon

Chapter 5: Will You Be My Girlfriend?

Sheldon held a black and white stuffed cat in his lap, smiling to himself in the passenger seat of Carly’s car. She had taken him to Build-A-Bear, got soft pretzels with lemonade, and then headed back for Pasadena.

Carly smiled as she drove, committing the day to memory. She would never forget how his eyes had lit up at the sight of the Build-A-Bear store, or how he had immediately decided to make a black and white cat for himself. She was relieved that he enjoyed the day, even if at first he hadn’t been sure.

“So you lived in Burbank?”

Sheldon’s curious question drew her out of her thoughts and she glanced over at him, meeting his eyes for a moment before looking back at the road. “A little outside of it.”

“I see... your whole life?”

She shook her head, then felt a little sad at the reminder. “Not all of it. I moved in with my Grandmother when I was around five and that’s where she lives.”

Sheldon’s eyes widened, looking a little excited at the thought. “You lived with your Mee-Maw?”

Carly couldn’t help but laugh a little, he was so cute. “Um, yes. I call her Grandma though.”

Sheldon turned in his seat to look at her. “That must have been great, living with your grandmother all this time.”

Carly fell silent, not sure how to explain. She felt Sheldon stare at her, waiting, and so she figured she should respond. “Yeah, it was. It was hard to leave her. I almost didn’t, but she wanted me to have a life outside of her small house. We’ve always been there for each other, ya know?”

She glanced at Sheldon and realized he was staring at her shirt again, thoughtful and hesitant. “What?”

He blinked and snapped his eyes back up to her face with a small shake of his head. “Penny told me that your parents died. When you were younger,” he told her softly, and she was surprised to see a hidden pain in his eyes.

Carly suddenly felt tight in her seatbelt and she fidgeted, pulling it away from her neck for a moment. Her eyes stared hard at the road.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to upset you. I promised Bea I wouldn’t.”

He sounded upset with himself and she looked back over at him, surprised. “Bea had you promise not to upset me?”

Sheldon nodded then looked away uncomfortably out the window. “I don’t know if you knew this but... I’m not- good at recognizing when I’ve upset someone. Or that I’m going to upset someone. To be honest, I guess most of the time and more often than not I’m wrong.”

Carly felt sad for him, hearing his vulnerable, hurt voice. She knew he struggled with it, that it was hard for him. She had learned that rather quickly. Their friends tried, in their way, to help him but she assumed that he needed someone to show him the way- not demand it of him.

“It’s all right,” she told him. “I struggle with some things too. Like... I get anxious around new people. To be honest, you all are the first real friends I’ve ever had. I’m grateful every day to have met you.”

Sheldon slowly looked back over at her and she glanced, catching his eyes. She didn’t recognize the emotion behind them and she bit her lip, looking back at the road.

“I’m grateful to have met you.”

The words and the way he said them would repeat over and over in her head forever. Small, quiet - but meaning it.

Her stomach did a flop. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him again, but she just had to see his face. How he had meant it. If it meant more than just what he was saying.

She chanced another look at his face and was disappointed to see him staring out the window, almost with his back to her. Had he meant to say it?

She frowned and stared out at the road as they neared Pasadena. He was scared, she could tell. Just like she was.

She needed to figure out a way to get him to feel better about it if she was ever going to get anywhere with him.

"Hey, do you want to play a car game?" Sheldon asked her suddenly, his tone turning bright and excited and she couldn't help but grin over at him, despite being startled by his abrupt change of mood.

"Sure! How do you play?"

oO0Oo

“Well hey, guys! How was today?" Penny asked, not being able to contain herself as the two walked into the apartment.

Leonard looked up over his slice of pizza as Sheldon left Carly by the door to head to the couch. She trailed after him, noticing that Leonard and Penny were the only ones there.

"Get up. You're in my spot.”

Penny, who had been enjoying herself, scowled and made Leonard scoot over - but was soon kicked off the couch completely when Penny grabbed a hold of Carly's wrist to pull her down between herself and Sheldon.

Leonard huffed in annoyance and went to sit in the armchair, while Carly realized that Penny was trying to play matchmaker. Heart speeding up, she tried to look normal. She was sitting rather close to Sheldon on the couch.

"Sheldon, that was rude," Carly feigned normalcy and gave him a stern look.

Sheldon was already getting himself a slice of pizza.

"Penny has been eating with us for years now, she should be well aware that this is my spot and whoever sits in it will be told to move," he told her simply, before taking a bite out of his pizza.

Carly was going to protest further but Penny nudged her and she looked over at her. "Don't bother. He's right, I knew better," Penny replied with a casual shrug, sounding defeated but also annoyed.

Carly let it go and took a piece of pizza for herself, trying to ignore how her thigh was brushing against Sheldon’s as she did so.

Leonard then spoke up. "So you never said, how was today?"

Sheldon suddenly snorted derisively. "Leonard, don't you ever watch the news? It was 90 with a 20% chance of precipitation. Good lord, I thought you got that app for a reason."

Leonard glared at him, realizing he would get nowhere with Sheldon, and turned to Carly. "How did today go, Carly?"

Carly grinned at the memory of the day, unable to hide her happiness even if she had wanted to. "Great! We had a swell time."

"That’s nice, where did you guys go?" Penny asked with a glance, curious as she took a bite.

"Carly took me to the animal shelter that she volunteers at over in Burbank," Sheldon explained, sounding way more enthusiastic about it than she remembered him being when they pulled up to it.

Carly smiled at him fondly, still relieved he had a good time regardless.

"An animal shelter, hunh? That's sweet," Leonard approved thoughtfully, and Carly smiled back at him.

"Yeah it’s a great place,” she agreed. And it was. Bea was amazing and was like a mother she never had and the way she was passionate about the animals there was inspiring.

“Isn’t it wrong to hit on someone else, while sitting right in front of your girlfriend?" Sheldon asked his roommate suddenly with a baffled glare.

Simultaneously, Penny choked on her pizza and Carly snapped her eyes to Sheldon in disbelief, while Leonard looked at him like he had gone insane. Did Sheldon think Leonard had hit on Carly?

"I wasn't hitting on Carly, cool your jets. Taking care of animals is sweet, Sheldon."

Sheldon’s eyes squinted at Leonard and didn’t want to let it go. “No these jets will not be cooled-“

Realizing that Sheldon was about to start a ridiculous argument, Carly tried to soothe the situation. "Sheldon relax, he was just being polite. He didn't mean anything by it.”

Sheldon’s fierce eyes darted to Carly and seemed to lose a little bit of his steam before glaring back at Leonard with a warning on his tongue. “You best watch it.”

Leonard blinked owlishly at his roommate, unable to process what had just happened. He had never seen him like this over a person before, besides his mother or his Mee-Maw.

Penny wasn’t ignorant to what was happening and she stifled her smug grin the best she could and gestured over to the stuffed cat on the end table next to Sheldon. “What’s that?”

Sheldon seemed to be cooling off and he looked over at it before glancing at Carly with a knowing grin like they had a secret. “That’s Richard Trevithick, the inventor of the first steam locomotive.”

Carly glanced at Penny with a bashful smile, hoping she got the hint that they had a good day. Penny grinned back at them, then seemed to remember something.

“Oh, Carly. Bernadette and I are planning a girl's night next Friday night and we wanted to know if you'd come."

Girls night? She had never gone to a girl's night before and had only seen them on TV. "Sure!” she grinned, getting excited about it and the fact that she had friends to do that sort of thing with. “What are you guys planning on doing?"

Penny shrugged casually while taking a sip of her water bottle. "Oh just buy a bottle of wine and kick back and relax. We can all crash at my place," she said with a coy smile.

Carly brightened at the thought. She wasn’t a drinker, but she knew enough about the adult world that it was common to drink when spending time with your friends. “Sounds fun. I get off at seven so I will hurry to change and I will meet you up here then."

Penny was pleased. "Awesome!”

"Carly," Sheldon interrupted suddenly.

Penny and Leonard rolled their eyes in unison. Of course, he would have a problem with something.

Carly turned her attention to him, noticing how his eyes were worried and he was staring at her seriously. “Yes?" She asked hesitantly.

"Are you sure it's wise to drink with Penny? I have seen her drink and she can be a bad influence. She even has caused me to be ‘wasted' and I ended up taking my pants off in front of a lot of people. I just don't want that for you," he explained and she stared at him, dumbstruck.

"Wait, what? You got wasted and took your pants off?" she asked him, clearly unbelieving. “That is horrible!”

Sheldon blushed darkly from his ears to his cheeks, then glanced away. "Admittedly yes, but it was because I was nervous about making a speech and Penny told me that it would help."

"And it did!" Penny defended herself loudly, not liking that she was being made to sound like a bad guy. “You had completely forgotten how nervous you were and didn't mind getting comfortable on stage."

"So comfortable that everyone saw your ass," Leonard said with a laugh, making Penny burst into laughter as well at the memory.

Carly saw how embarrassed and ashamed Sheldon looked, horrified for him. She grimaced at the thought of how mortified he had been.

Although she couldn't help but notice that he had told her all of that because he was worried about her, she felt herself melt. He did like her, didn’t he?

Penny caught the way Carly was looking at Sheldon and stopped laughing. The girl had it bad. They just needed to give Sheldon a little nudge. He was being stubborn and frustrating as usual.

Penny suddenly stood with a quick decision, dusting her pants off and catching the eye of Leonard. She lifted a thumb and gestured behind her, before looking at Carly and Sheldon. “Well, I gotta work early tomorrow. I will see you all later," Penny told them, pleased when she saw Leonard stand as well, obviously understanding.

"I'll walk you out," Leonard said with a smirk and followed her after saying goodnight to Carly.

They were alone once more in his apartment and it was just as uncomfortable as the last time. The bliss from the day had faded but lingered like a warm breeze.

Carly finished her pizza, trying to swallow quietly because it was incredibly silent in the apartment. She chanced a glance at Sheldon and he seemed to be inwardly struggling with something.

She frowned, turning to him. “Are you all right?"

Sheldon glanced at her, his eye twitching a little. "Yeah, I'm fine. A little rattled that I told you about that, but I’m fine."

Carly felt for him and wished to take his hand but was worried about what his reaction would be. She tried instead to reassure him with her words. “Don't worry I'm not going to laugh. It wasn’t your fault.”

Sheldon glanced at her again, his eyes softening a little. "I know. You aren't like that."

She smiled at him, glad that he knew that, then remembered why he had told her about his embarrassing moment in the first place. “Sheldon, worrying about me is sweet of you but I can take care of myself. I won’t let Penny or anyone for that matter pressure me into doing something I don’t want to do.”

Sheldon tensed and nodded once, avoiding her gaze. She frowned, wishing he would look at her and realize it was okay. To let her hug him. To tell her he liked her.

Carly stared at the side of his face, watching a muscle jerk in his cheek as he thought hard about something. She bit her lip.

The only way she would be able to move forward is if she made the first move. She knew that and had known that. She remembered how he had recoiled from her that day when she had accidentally grabbed his hand.

She swallowed thickly, worrying that she was going to overstep her boundaries and send him running to the hills.

"Sheldon?" she murmured, unable to speak any louder because she was mortified that he would leave. That he would never look at her the same again.

But she had to know.

"Yes?" Finally, finally, he looked over at her and she was startled by the way his blue eyes changed when settling on hers. For a moment, she forgot what she was going to say.

She blinked, her breath speeding up, and her hands beginning to sweat. “I know that this may come as a shock to you, and I really hope you don’t hate me after this but... I-I like you.” There she said it. She felt immense relief for a good couple of seconds before the regret forced its way through and she was left to watch his eyes widen and his whole body freeze.

“I...” Sheldon was speechless. She liked him? At first, he thought she meant as friends but they had already declared they were friends, so it couldn’t have been that and the way she had said it.

‘I-I like you.’

His mouth ran dry and he searched her face, watching as her eyes filled up in what appeared to be fear.

He could relate. He was terrified. He had never felt this way about another human being in his life and he didn’t understand it. He didn’t get why he was mesmerized by her smile, how he easily got lost in her eyes without meaning to, how he couldn’t get her out of his mind, and how every time he saw her, he felt a little more. Like actually felt.

Since the day he had met her, something stirred in him. Changed him. He didn’t know what any of this meant.

How could he explain what he felt to her? Would she understand, when even he didn’t?

Carly dropped her eyes to her lap, gaze hard and willing herself not to get upset at his silence. It was as if she had pressed the reset button on him. He was still, unmoving. She hadn’t been able to read his face and she had given up.

What was he thinking?

The longer the silence, the more terrified she was that she had ruined what they had. She had to fix this- it had been a mistake.

Carly panicked and got to her feet, hell-bent on getting out of the apartment and hiding alone in her bed for the rest of the weekend. Maybe for the rest of her life.

“I- uh, I should go. S-See you-“ she made a move to run from him but was caught by a strong, long-fingered hand around her wrist.

She froze, eyes darting down to it, shocked. Was he... touching her? His hand was warm, sweating a little, he must have been nervous too. His grip was surprisingly strong.

She followed his arm and looked into his face. His scared, anxious face. His eyes stared up at her, hard emotions swimming in them that made her stomach flip wildly in her body.

“Wait,” he told her, sounding almost broken. She stared back at him, breath hitching. Was he...

“What is it, Sheldon?” She breathed, wanting to know, needing to know.

His fingers loosened on her wrist and slowly released her, his hand falling to his lap before standing. She immediately felt the loss from his touch, skin tingling, but was taken aback by how close he was now standing to her.

She craned her neck, looking up into his face in anxious curiosity.

“I believe...” His voice was low, deep like he was struggling to understand himself. “I believe that I could possibly... like you too.”

Everything around her disappeared when he said those three words and she stared, eyes focused solely on Sheldon as he gazed back - looking worse for wear.

Then, she fully processed what he had said and she smiled. A full, wide, and bright smile reached her eyes. “You do?”

She needed confirmation. This couldn’t be real.

Sheldon just nodded, ducking his head a little and glancing down at his feet before peering back into her eyes. “Briefly I thought I may be having a heart attack, or possibly an alien parasite making me think about you all the time, but- the only other conclusion I could come up with, the only logical explanation is... that I like you.”

Hearing it again, coming from his mouth and not her imagination, made her heart soar. She wanted to hug him, kiss him- something! But she refrained, not wanting to scare him off. She knew he was enduring enough.

“I’m so relieved to hear that,” she told him honestly, breathless. “I’ve been holding it in for a while.”

Sheldon’s lips curved upwards, looking relieved as well. “Me too. God, I’m glad that’s over.”

She laughed, unable to stop herself because this- this feeling of knowing that he liked her back, that this was happening- felt like heaven.

They both dropped back down to the couch, turned to the other with smiles on their faces. Then, after a sudden thought, the happiness on her face faltered. Her heart jumped with anxiety again.

"What does this mean for us?" she hesitantly asked him. “Are we... do we-“ She broke off, unable to say the word ‘date’ aloud.

Sheldon’s smile fell, becoming uncomfortable once more with the conversation. His eyes dropped to his lap, thinking as she watched on bated breath. Did he understand what she was trying to say?

He let out a breath. “Social protocol dictates that... if two people should like each other more than friends than- well, that is to say... we should-“

He did know, she concluded, heart suddenly racing in her chest at the implications.

"Ask me, Sheldon,” she urged, knowing she would need to help him along. She always would.

He glanced at her once more before looking down again at the floor, his eyes seeming to look for a hole to crawl into. He was silent for a long time but she waited silently for him to speak. She could wait. She had waited her whole life for this moment. For a man to ask her the question she had seen in so many romance movies and read about in books.

But as the silence continued, with no sign he was going to continue, her patience grew thin. "Sheldon?" She prompted.

He jumped, startled and he suddenly gave himself a shake out of the stupor he had been in. "Carly.” He said her name so formally that she straightened her back and gave him her full attention. “Will you be so kind as to not reject my question as to if you will be my girlfriend?"

That wasn't exactly what she had thought he'd say but she shouldn't have been surprised. She laughed lightly, finding him to be endearing even amid nerves and insecurities. “No, I won't reject your question, but you must ask it first."

He let out a huff and threw a slight glare at her. "You’re being difficult. You know how much this is making me uneasy."

Carly leaned in, watched his eyes widen substantially at the proximity, and was surprised that he didn’t lean backward away from her. She looked into his eyes seriously, a reassuring smile playing on her lips. She didn’t miss his notable glance down to her mouth.

“I promise,” she vowed. There was no way she would tell him no. She straightened and removed herself from his personal space. He visibly breathed easier. “I could give it to you in writing if you want.” It was a joke but she saw the consideration on his face.

She laughed with a playful roll of her eyes.

“Carly.” His tone drew her attention back to him and she paused in breathing. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

The question was music to her ears. Something she had only imagined and never thought would be asked of her. She bit her lip, drawing out the moment. He watched her reaction and she just about told him yes, thousand times yes, but she suddenly wondered something.

He caught sight of the change of expression and grew worried. “Before you answer, remember you said that you wouldn't reject it," he reminded, making her hold on to her words, with fear.

She broke into a smile. "I know, but before I answer, you must answer my question first."

Sheldon raised his eyebrows, concerned. "I didn't know you would have stipulations before answering."

Carly resisted the urge to place an assuring hand over his. "Sheldon, if I can't reject your question then we all know what my answer will be."

Sheldon thought her words over before reluctantly nodding. "Okay fine, go on."

Carly shifted uneasily in her seat, worrying about his answer again. "Okay. If we are to be boyfriend and girlfriend does that mean I can touch you?”

Sheldon froze at the question, his eyes lowering to her hands and then back up nervously to her face. “Touch where?”

Carly softened. “Like holding hands? Hugging?” She paused awkwardly before adding, “Kissing?”

He bristled at ‘kissing’ and she bit her lip. Perhaps that had been wishful thinking.

“Holding hands... I can get used to,” he admitted slowly, giving it some thought. “But under the conditions of only doing it when we’re alone or giving each other a handshake.”

Holding hands when they were alone? She could deal with that. “Okay, what about hugging?”

Sheldon visibly gulped and then tried to look like it wasn’t a big deal. “On special occasions, like when Leonard Nimoy dies or Supernatural ends.”

Carly didn’t know what either of those two things were and so it didn’t sound too promising. “What about if we are alone and it’s been a long time since we have seen each other? Normally people hug when they want to convey that they missed the other.”

Sheldon looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. “Okay, that’s fine. But we see each other every day almost- so that won’t be necessary.”

Carly cracked a smile at that. “Okay and lastly, ki-“

“No kissing,” he cut her off, shaken. She stared at him, stunned and disappointed. “Not yet. I... I need to get comfortable with all of this first.”

Carly knew that all of this was new for them, him especially, and so she accepted it. She hoped that in time, he would feel at ease around her enough for them to do all sorts of things. Everything.

“It’s a deal,” she told him, then after a moment's thought, she stuck her hand out to him.

He looked down at it, unsure, then trailed his gaze back up.

She quirked an eyebrow, a smile on her lips, as she waited. She gave her hand a little shake as if to say, ‘hurry up’.

Sheldon then let out a dramatic sigh and she knew she had won. He rolled his eyes and then took her hand. She grinned, glad that he had followed through.

He gave her hand a little shake and then released her, giving her a playfully annoyed look. “Should I just write out a relationship agreement? I could have it printed out by tomorrow.”

Carly let out a laugh at that and shook her head, putting a hand out in front of her to say ‘stop’. “No, it’s fine.”

Sheldon was disappointed at her answer. He always loved creating documents.

“Hey, you haven’t answered,” he reminded, feeling insecure again at the realization.

She grinned and then sat up properly, looking at him in the eyes. "Yes, Sheldon. I will be your girlfriend."

Sheldon let out a sigh of great relief. "I thought you were going to back out."

Carly laughed at him, unbelieving that he would think that after their whole conversation. “Sheldon, I promised you I wouldn't."

"Yeah but that doesn't mean anything. Everyone said that the Green Lantern movie was going to be great, but it wasn't," he pointed out as if it justified it.

Carly shook her head in amusement, loving his nerdy side, before suddenly standing up from the couch, startling him.

"Where are you going?" he asked her, baffled that she was leaving soon after they had agreed to be boyfriend and girlfriend.

She reached the door then turned to give him a smile over her shoulder, making him slightly breathless at the sight of it. "I'm going to go get my clothes. I will meet you in the laundry room in a few minutes, deal?"

Sheldon felt something stir in him and he gave her a sheepish grin, then looked down at his watch as he got to his feet. "Smart thinking. It's twenty minutes till 8:15. Wouldn't want to be late. I will see you then."

When he turned around to head back into his bedroom, she grinned and called out to him on a whim. "Sheldon?"

He spun around to see her walking towards him, a coy smile on her face, sending his heart to race in his chest. It would have been concerning if he hadn’t grown used to it throughout the time he had known her.

She carefully reached out for him and he tried to remain still, unsure of what she was going to do but still wanting to see what it was.

Carly softly took his hand and looked down at it fondly, thoroughly enjoying the feel of his hand in hers. He looked down at their entwined hands in wonder and then rose his eyes, catching her gaze. His fingers twitched in her hold.

"See you, my boyfriend," she murmured, excited to use the term for the first time. She smiled at him, relieved he was letting her hold his hand, even for a brief period.

She gave his hand a light squeeze before releasing it, then turned on her heel and headed to the door.

"Okay, my girlfriend," he said quietly back at her, watching her leave his apartment in awe. He made himself walk to his bedroom to retrieve his dirty clothing.

They both wore matching, knowing smiles the rest of evening. 


	6. Chapter 6: Girls Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A girl's night? I don't know if I'm up for an evening talking about rainbows, unicorns, and menstrual cramps." - Sheldon

Chapter 6: Girls' Night

Friday hadn't come fast enough, in Carly's opinion. She had been looking forward to spending the night over at Penny’s the whole week and had barely slept the night before. She was anxious and excited.

She had watched the clock like a hawk the whole day at the library and as soon as she got home, she immediately changed out of her work attire to don a pair of jean shorts and a white t-shirt. She had never been one to show off her legs, being pale her whole life, but the newfound confidence she was finding changed her mind.

She wondered if Sheldon would notice if she wore them... but shook herself away from the thought. He couldn’t even stand the idea of kissing her, why on earth would he care about how her legs looked in shorts?

Plus, it wasn’t like she’d see him that night anyway. It was just going to be Penny and Bernadette there. Honestly, she was excited to get to know the short blond better. She saw her every once in while with Howard but hadn’t really spent one on one time with her yet.

Everyone now knew of Sheldon and Carly's relationship and spoke of it often. It had shaken the group, amazed and happy for them. No one had seen Sheldon conceding to a relationship with anyone, so it was shocking- but at the same time, they all had had their suspicions on his feelings for her that they voiced loudly in satisfaction.

Relationship wise, it felt pretty much the same with Sheldon. Except now, they often shared knowing smiles and long stares whenever they caught eyes. Carly had offered to drive Sheldon to places he needed to go if she was able and so that helped take the pressure off of Leonard. He was ecstatic.

Carly just enjoyed spending time with Sheldon, even if it was to go to the model train store or a symposium she didn’t understand.

Carly had held hands with him only once when they had watched a documentary together alone in his apartment. He had been hesitant at first but allowed it when she prompted, and Carly thought about that moment often.

It was nice, being Sheldon’s girlfriend.

Sheldon had still disapproved of her drinking with Penny and had frequently brought it up. Carly had tried reassuring him but it seemed to not help his paranoia. The trauma from what had happened to him must have bothered him more than he let on.

It just made her sad that their friends all just laughed, not seeing how it affected him.

Carly left her apartment, a small bag of a change of clothes and her toothbrush on her arm, and headed up the flights of stairs.

"Hey sweetie, come on in!" Penny greeted brightly, a large bottle in her hand already as she threw open the door, ushering the librarian inside her apartment.

“Hey,” Carly grinned at her and walked in, spotting Bernadette on the couch with a glass of wine in her hand. "Hi, Bernadette!”

"Hel—" Bernadette hiccuped, "—Lo. Oh sorry.” She laughed girlishly, placing her hand on her chest with an embarrassed smile.

Penny closed the door and walked behind Carly towards the kitchenette. "So what would you like, Carly? I bought red wine, Peach Snapps, Butterscotch Snapps, and… Eristoff…" She said pointing to each one on the counter until she got to the Eristoff, which she picked up and examined curiously.

"Butterscotch I guess. I like butterscotch," she said with a shrug and sat down next to Bernadette on the aqua colored couch, seeing that the TV was on to play Dirty Dancing. She didn’t know anything about liquor and so she just hoped it tasted good.

"So! How are you and Sheldon?" Bernadette cooed, grinning at Carly and nudging her with her elbow, waggling her eyebrows.

Carly blushed lightly but laughed at her antics. "We're fine. What about you and Howard? I heard he proposed, congratulations!"

Bernadette's smile vanished suddenly, a dark flash in her eyes, and Penny moved in with a glass for Carly.

“Ooh, not a good time," Penny murmured to Carly, handing the glass over before sitting in her green armchair next to Bernadette.

Carly frowned, looking between the two in confusion. “What, why?”

"No, it's all right," Bernadette waved to the girls after Carly was about to say sorry. She gave the brunette a small grateful smile. “Thanks, Carly. It’s just that Howard and I got into another argument tonight. He seems thinks that when we get married we’re going to live with his mother."

Penny bit her lip and shook her head, taking a swig of the Eristoff right from the bottle. Carly furrowed her brows, deducing the situation, "Oh my. I am guessing you don't want to live with her?"

Bernadette gave Carly a flat look like she couldn’t believe she would consider it, "No, of course not. As a married couple, I expected things to change and to start our lives together in our own home. He says he wants that too, so why doesn’t he start packing?”

Carly bit her lip, before reassuring Bernadette in sympathy. “Oh, you never know, Howard is a good guy and he loves you with all his heart. He’s lived with his mother his whole life, I’m sure it’s just going to take some time. I lived with my Grandmother my whole life and I just moved out this year. It was difficult for me too. Change... it’s hard,” Carly told her before taking a drink of her liquor, thinking of how her grandmother was alone in her house. It tasted exactly like butterscotch and gave her a warm sensation rushing through her whole body.

"I agree," Penny said followed by a sniff, her nose running from the warmth the liquor gave her. "Somehow, your cuteness settled down the strange and creepy Howard Wolowitz. He will get over it.”

Bernadette smiled appreciatively. "Thanks, you guys." She took a drink of her glass as Penny continued.

"I mean look at Sheldon and Carly. We didn't even know Sheldon had genitals and now he is thinking with them."

Carly blushed fiercely at the mention of her boyfriend's genitals and took another drink. She wouldn't exactly say he was thinking with them. She could count how many times they had touched with one hand.

"All right! Enough of all this boy talk! Let's play some liquor games!" Penny suddenly announced with a kick of her leg, looking far too wicked for Carly’s liking.

oO0Oo

Sheldon stared intently at his apartment door, anxiously sitting in his spot on the couch. Music was now blaring from the apartment across the hall. What was Penny doing to his girlfriend? Would she be okay? Would she turn out like Penny? He didn’t want her to change.

Leonard noticed this and sat down with his glass of diet coke, glancing at the door. "Sheldon, she’ll be fine. Penny isn't that bad of an influence." But as he said it, he realized that he was just lying to himself. Penny did have a way of swaying anyone that she met. She’d gotten Sheldon to drink alcohol. That was a feat all in itself.

Sheldon turned to glower at Leonard, appalled that he could even say that. "Thatbad- Leonard, she fed me alcohol until I took my pants off in front of a whole crowd of people and then exposed my derriere - which ended up being videotaped and posted to youtube. In what universe is she not that bad?"

Leonard sulked with defeat and looked down at his glass, watching the carbonation bubbles pop. "Yeah okay, you're right. But still, they’ll be fine. They're right across the hall."

"They? I don't care about Bernadette and Penny, all I care about is them turning my girlfriend into an alcoholic!" Sheldon exclaimed his biggest fear at the moment, pouting in his seat with another glare towards the offending door.

Howard and Raj then entered the apartment, glancing behind them at Penny's apartment door with a pizza box in their hands. "Hey guys, we brought pizza," Howard told them hopefully.

Raj frowned himself and closed the door behind them. "Are they having a party without us?"

Leonard rolled his eyes at the way Raj sounded left out. "It's a girl's night Raj."

"Oh," Raj said, shrugging and going over to the couch with Howard as they started handing out pizza.

oO0Oo

"Yes! Drink up!" Penny cheered, pointing to Bernadette. They were playing beer pong with candle jars and a rolled-up piece of paper. Bernadette laughed, too intoxicated to care about competing at the moment, and took a large swig of the drink.

The game went on until Penny won and she threw her hands up in victory.

Falling onto the couch breathless, the girls giggled at each other. "Hey," Penny suddenly spoke up, lolling her head over to look at Carly. “We should go out dancing one night. We could bring the guys too if you wanted."

Carly tilted her head, trying to imagine her boyfriend dancing, and grinned. She was feeling more than a little buzzed now. “I don't think Sheldon would dance."

Penny rolled her eyes, an evil grin appearing on her face. "We could get him drunk. That always works."

Carly might have been drunk as well, but she had a mind to know that Sheldon would be mortified if something like that happened again. She shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe."

oO0Oo

Sheldon tried to focus on the Star Wars movie playing on the television but he kept hearing pounds on the floor or wall and then loud laughter. His eyes found their way back to the door in a panic. "What on earth and in all it's universes is going on over there to cause that much of a ruckus?"

Howard raised his eyebrows, the other guys now looking towards the door too with interest. "I’m not sure, but I hope it's not PG."

Sheldon glared at him sharply, not understanding the statement but since it had come from Howard- he assumed it probably had something to do with sexual activities. The idea of Carly doing any of that spread fear throughout his whole body.

Leonard sighed. "They just sound like they're having fun."

"Should we go check on them, just in case?" Raj asked, sounding a little eager to do so.

Leonard shook his head, being the reasonable one - despite the very sexual thoughts about his girlfriend going through his head. “No, if they need us, they'll let us know."

"What if they pass out and hit their head on something and get a concussion- and we don’t hear them call for help because the music is too loud?” Sheldon asked, looking at Leonard for a good answer.

Leonard exhaled in annoyance, "Sheldon. They are going to be fine. I have told you that for—"

“Have you seen how messy Penny’s apartment is? They could trip and fall on any of it!” Sheldon pointed out, his voice in a higher octave as his imagination ran away with him, leaving him extremely worried for Carly’s wellbeing.

Leonard opened his mouth to continue the dispute but was stopped as their door swung open with brute force, banging loudly against the wall behind it.

Carly stood there, her hair a mess and her eyes intent on Sheldon. All four men were stunned at the sight.

"Carly?" Sheldon asked while standing, worried there was something wrong and that his suspicions had come true.

"Sheldon, we need to go to the bedroom," she told him loudly, and he heard Penny and Bernadette giggle madly from the doorway of Penny's apartment.

This had been a dare. By then, Carly was far too gone to think about what she truly was doing. Her rational mind had flown out the window and she felt woozy and stared dreamily at her boyfriend.

He is so hot, she thought wildly. What would it be like to kiss him?

"Why?" Sheldon asked, astonished by her appearance and her words. He hurried over to her, checking her over for injuries because surely she had a concussion. She wasn’t making sense. "Did you hit your head?”

Carly shook her head, licking her lips and struggling to stand on her feet, "No. I want to touch you and you said we can only do that in private, now let's go!" she said, grabbing his hand and tugging him toward the bedroom.

The other men exchanged amused and shocked glances, trying hard not to laugh at Sheldon's horrified face.

"No, Carly! No one goes into my bedroom!" Sheldon protested in stark fear at what she had said and by her actions. He stopped walking abruptly, causing Carly to fall into his chest, pressing up alongside him and leaving him sucking in with air at the touch. He caught her and held her at arm's length, away from him and his racing heart.

"Then I will touch you right here then," she told him boldly, thinking that to be the only solution, and leaned into him, her arms struggling in his hands to reach his waist- as if to hug him. He pulled away as fast as The Flash before she could succeed.

"Carly, you have had way too much to drink," he told her seriously, licking his lips and feeling his whole face burning from embarrassment. “This is exactly what I meant when I said you shouldn’t have drunk with Penny!”

"Come on!" she urged, ignoring him, and grabbed his hand, making him jump, tugging him towards the back of the apartment. This time, however, he let her. He was afraid she would do something in front of their friends.

He already could hear their snickers behind his back as they left.

Once inside his room, she pushed him down onto his bed and closed the door. He sat on the end of the mattress, his eyes wide and worried about what she would do now that they were alone.

“Sheldon… I want to touch you," she told him again, walking over to him, swaying her hips a little. His eyes involuntarily looked down at them and he looked back up into her eyes with trepidation. His heart raced wildly in his chest.

This was wrong.

"You think you do, but you need to realize that this is just the alcohol. You- you wouldn’t do this if you were sober," he replied, catching her hands as they reached out to him before they could touch him.

“Sheeeeeldon," she drew out his name in a whine, a plead. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes that were normally bright and twinkling looked dark and wild. It made his heart jump to his throat with an unknown emotion. “I want to hug you... to ki- you said that we could hug right?”

She looked at him hopefully and he bit the inside of his cheek and shook his head quickly, his hands holding her wrists in front of him. “Only on special occasions,” he corrected her.

“But it is a special occasion!” She told him, sounding rather childlike.

Sheldon raised his eyebrows, not understanding. “No, it’s not.”

She sheepishly smiled then, moving closer to him so she was standing in between his legs. He gulped. She was so close now. He tried to keep his eyes steady, the fact that her legs were bare and brushing up against his was distracting.

“It’s... It’s the first time I’ve been in your bedroom!” She came up with on the spot, looking proud of herself. He saw her teeth through her smile.

“B-but that’s not-“

And that was when it happened. He was distracted by what she had said, intent on telling her how wrong she was on what a special occasion meant- when suddenly she had thrown herself at him and her hot, soft mouth collided hard and sloppily on his as he spoke.

His body immediately protested the action, his hands releasing her wrists to rise between them to try to remove her from him but she was pushing into him with her whole body and he struggled to move.

He was aware that he was falling, backward onto the bed and to his horror, she climbed on top of him, her bare legs straddling his hips as she somehow kept her face near his.

Her mouth drew back, a wet residue all around his mouth and on one of his nostrils.

The would-be kiss was sort of gross, he concluded.

His eyes were wide when she looked down at him, his head resting on the mattress and her hair falling around them like a waterfall. He could feel every single place she was touching and to his horror, his body reacted under her.

“C-Carly I-“ he tried again to protest, panicking now, but she silenced him when she leaned down again, his words leaving his mind when her mouth descended onto his again. He was too shocked to move.

This time, her mouth was softer, gentler. It made his heart pound heavy in his ears and he stared, stunned at her closed eyes, as her lips pressed and covered his a little firmer, testing him it seemed like.

It was closed-lipped and he appreciated that because he didn’t think he could handle another saliva-based intrusion, and he let her kiss him. His whole body warmed, heated under her smaller frame.

He was still, unsure of what to do. Uncertain if she should move her off of him while she was distracted or see how long she would do it for. This feeling- this feeling, was intense. He didn’t know what to do with it.

She finally pulled back, slightly, just enough to breathe and stare down at him with gentle eyes and a small smile playing on her lips. He had trouble breathing.

“Wh-why did you-“ he broke off, his murmur unable to keep going as his mind spun and his body tingled.

“I’ve wanted to do that for so long but I knew you wouldn’t let me,” she admitted in a small, unsure voice. “Do you hate me now?”

Sheldon gulped. Hate her? “No. Just... shocked.”

She bit her lip nervously and his eyes fell to it, watching how her teeth sank into the plump red of her bottom lip. It sent a weird tingle down his body. Kissing... she had kissed him.

He licked his own, trying but failing to remove his eyes from her mouth. That had just been kissing him. “You taste like butterscotch," he mused faintly.

Carly chuckled lightly and tilted her head. “The liquor I drank was butterscotch flavored... do you like butterscotch?”

His eyes lifted to hers, seeing the teasing sparkle in them and some other emotion he didn’t understand.

Butterscotch?

"Yes.” At the moment he wasn’t sure if he had meant the flavor or the kiss. Carly’s kiss.

She smiled and her eyes traveled down to his mouth again and his breathing hitched. Was she going to do it again? Her eyes flickered to his and he went still.

“Are you going to kiss me again?” He asked her faintly, needing to get prepared if so.

She looked back up into his eyes, desire evident in them. “Do you want me to?” She asked him, her voice soft and caring- a different approach than she had taken before. Perhaps she wasn’t as drunk as she had been upon entering the bedroom.

He stared at her. Did he want her to? That was the question, wasn’t it? She had already damned him if she had any virus running through her saliva so what would one more hurt?

"Yes," he told her in a voice he didn’t recognize.

That did something to her, her face changed. Her eyes softened and she moved a hand to his chest, settling right over his pounding heart and sending warm tingles over his body. His useless hands down at his sides moved into fists from the touch. He didn’t know if he liked it or not.

But he didn’t want her to stop.

She began to lean in and he stopped breathing. But she didn’t kiss him. Not yet. Her forehead pressed against his, their eyes locked into a heated stare, their breaths mingling together between them.

Her hand on his chest slid up, up, to his neck, giving him goosebumps on that side of his body. He was surprised by his body’s reaction, how it was thoroughly affected by her touch, her kiss, her everything.

He couldn’t help but stare back at Carly, something moving in him, as he saw all of her feelings toward him in her gaze. His body relaxed, to a degree, awed by her. She was like a different species to him.

Who was this girl? How had she done this to him? This was everything he had sworn against, his whole life.

She must have noticed the difference in his eyes because her hand lifted to his jawline, running her fingers along the skin there before finally- finally, she pressed her lips upon his.

Neither of them expected Sheldon’s response, both had been unprepared. His hands grabbed her by the hips, holding her tightly to him, for dear life. She stilled her movements when he did so, her eyes opening slightly to look down at him to see his eyes shut. Then his mouth pressed up against hers, her bottom lip sliding between both of his softly and sensually.

Her heart pounded loudly in her ears and her eyes slid closed, kissing him back, deeply - savoring him and this moment because despite the liquor licking at her senses and mind, she knew that this probably wouldn’t happen again. That this was a rare, special thing.

His hands held her to him, unwilling to let go of her hips or her mouth and she came alive in his arms, pressing her body fully along his and sliding her hand that was on his jaw up into his hair- fingers threading through it, holding him close, needing him to keep kissing her. To tell her how much he liked her. How much she meant to him.

And she needed him to know, that she liked him so much. Her body and heartbeat as one, needing him. Wanting him.

His fingertips on her waist pressed hard, his lips moving along hers in equal abandon- forgetting that he was scared, that he had never kissed anyone in his life and hadn’t wanted to- not until now. Not until Carly.

She made him feel. Liked him for him. Drew out emotions in him that he didn’t even know he could experience. Made him want to pull her against him and never let go.

His hands moved, slid up to her back, and ran over the fabric of her shirt, holding her to him, pressing her warm body up firmly against him, wanting the closeness he had never experienced before. Needing it.

He idly remembered that she was drunk, probably not thinking straight. Yet, he was drunk on her. On how she made him feel.

But this wasn’t right.

"Carly..." he mumbled against her lips. He didn't want this to stop, but he needed to. For her sake, and his. He had never craved intimacy with another person this way before and he had a feeling that if they were to go further, he wouldn't be comfortable.

She pulled back from his mouth, their eyes opening simultaneously, their breaths rapidly mingling together as they came down from the high. “You're intoxicated," he reminded her softly. "You don't know what you're doing."

Carly sighed and laid her head upon his shoulder, her body slumping against him. "I know... I'm sorry."

Sheldon wasn't sure what to say to her. He was shuddering underneath her warm body and his hands were still on her back. He could feel her breath rasping against his skin, making his head spin dizzily.

Suddenly he realized just what they were doing and he froze, unable to remember how they had come to this.

"C-Carly?" he began, worried that they had made a mistake, but he didn't hear her response for a few beats. Frowning, he gently rubbed her shoulder to get her attention. "Carly?"

He pulled away slightly, to look down into her sleeping face.

Alarmed, he lay there with her sleeping body on him. He gulped. Here he was panicking about how his body had responded to her and she had just passed out.

Attempting to compose himself, he gently and carefully maneuvered her off of him, it was more of a roll actually. He sat up, being able to breathe easier without her on him, and grabbed one of his pillows to softly slide it under her head. He stood up from the bed and stared down at her wordlessly. Her hair fanned out messily around her peaceful face and her chest gently rose up and down with her breathing. He gulped. What was he supposed to do now?

Sheldon heard a small knock on his door, breaking him from his thoughts and he quickly turned to answer it. Leonard peered up at him with curious eyes behind his dark-framed glasses.

"Everything okay?" Leonard asked him cautiously, taking in Sheldon's ruffled hair and pale complexion.

His eyes wide and panicked, he unloaded, "Leonard, Carly passed out in my bed. Do I wake her up and tell her to leave? Do I carry her down to her apartment? Or do I just let her stay there?"

Leonard eyed past him, seeing a glimpse of Carly's sleeping face. "She must have had a lot to drink tonight," he commented idly. "Um, well I suppose you could let her sleep here. She looks pretty peaceful."

Sheldon frowned wildly, not liking the answer. "Then where am I supposed to sleep?"

Leonard rose his eyebrows at his roommate, then chuckled with amusement and patted Sheldon on the shoulder. "Here's an idea, you could sleep with her."

Sheldon gaped at his roommate, appalled at the idea. "I can't -"

"Sheldon," Leonard cut him off, suddenly looking serious. "She's your girlfriend now. It's normal to share a bed."

Sheldon gulped and glanced back at Carly in fear. How was this sort of thing normal? How would he convince himself that it wasn't a big deal? "Um... okay," he said noncommittally and gave Leonard a small nod.

Leonard smirked, a little surprised by the fact Sheldon hadn't argued with him further. "Well, I'm heading off to bed. Everyone's gone home."

Sheldon nodded distractedly and was then left to his own devices as Leonard took his leave. Sheldon softly closed his door and turned back around, staring at Carly in trepidation. This was why he had never wanted to get involved with a woman. They always interrupted his life to such a degree.

Quietly, he shed his clothing and put on his Friday night pajamas before walking over to the other side of his bed. He eyed it, trying to figuring out a way to get into the bed without disturbing her. He switched off his lamp next to him, engulfing the room into darkness except for a couple strips of moonlight from the blinds on his window. He carefully pulled the blankets down and slid them gently underneath Carly to cover them up, after climbing into the bed next to her.

Immediately he felt uncomfortable in his own bed. Perhaps he should've just slept on the couch. Why had he let Leonard convince him of this absurd idea?

Without any notice, Carly shifted next to him and he snapped his gaze to her to see her moving in her sleep, to her side and curling against him. Her cheek pressed against his shoulder, making him stiffen. Now how he supposed to sleep?

He tried though, his eyes closing and willing himself to not panic.

But to no avail.

Not only was the warmth of her body right next to his side, but she then slid her arm over his waist and held him to her.

His heart jumped, his eyes furiously opening. The weight of her arm against his hips weirdly made his breathing pick up- making him wonder why his lungs and hips were congregating.

Slowly, reluctantly, he let himself calm down and relax - one body part at a time. His eyes stared unseeingly at the ceiling. For a very long time he pondered what he had gotten himself into, how Carly affected him, how he had experienced an actual kiss- and slowly, he fell into a fitful sleep.

He did wake up frequently, her next to him startling him, but each time he quickly remembered he wasn't alone.


	7. Chapter 7: Costumes?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Couples costumes are one of the few benefits of being in a relationship." -Sheldon

Chapter 7: Costumes?

Knock, knock, knock "Penny."

Knock, knock, knock "Penny."

Knock, knock, knock "Penny."

The blond swung open the door, looking a right mess from just getting up out of her bed.

"Sheldon, it's like the middle of the night!" she complained, grabbing her forehead in what looked to be pain. Which she probably was, after how much alcohol he assumed she had consumed.

Sheldon blinked in confusion, still wearing his dark blue plaid bathrobe that he had donned upon waking up that morning. "It's six o'clock."

Groaning, Penny tried again, her hand falling hard onto her side to look at him in irritation. "What do you want Sheldon?"

"I have a bone to pick with you," he told her, crossing his arms over his chest - attempting to be intimidating. "You got Carly drunk as a skunk and changed her. She did all sorts of embarrassing things last night and it's all your fault."

Penny rolled her eyes at him. "It's only embarrassing to you because you're a weirdo."

Sheldon gaped, not liking her tone. "I take offense to that statement- and if you don’t care about me then care about Carly. It’s embarrassing to her. She ended up sleeping in my bed all night."

Penny didn’t understand how that could be embarrassing. They were dating for crying out loud. Normally after a week of dating someone, she would have done more than sleep with them by then. "And that's a bad thing? If anything you should be thanking me. You finally got a girl in your bed."

Sheldon glowered down at the blond, voice going icy. "That's not the point, Penny. You know how uncomfortable that sort of thing makes me. I told you not to get her that drunk and you did it anyway."

Penny sighed, realizing he wasn’t going to let this go and she wanted to go back to sleep. Bernadette was passed out on her couch, apparently sleeping through it all. She ran a hand through her hair. "Okay, look Sheldon. Carly is a grown woman. She can drink as much as she wants."

“She passed out! How is that okay?” Sheldon protested and Penny groaned again, unable to take any more. Her head was beginning to pound painfully, reminding her just how much they all had drunk.

"Goodbye Sheldon," she told him, shutting the door in his face.

oO0Oo

Carly slowly opened her eyes, feeling warm and content under blankets. Then she caught sight of the room around her, not recognizing any of the interior. She sat herself up, rubbing her eyes to adjust them to the morning light. She looked around. Where was she?

Oh.

The sight of many boxes of comic books and a train jogged her memory and the events from the night before came flooding back to her.

"Oh no," she breathed as her cheeks lightened from embarrassment. She chanced a glance over to the other side of the bed, but Sheldon was nowhere to be found. The other side of the bed had been made up as best as possible without waking her.

She had kissed him.

Her heart sank. What would happen to them now? She hadn’t been in control of herself and had acted on pure instinct, pure want. She probably had freaked him out- oh god.

She was a despicable person. She had forced herself on him. Wasn’t this like... sexual assault? Would he press charges?

She made herself calm down, just as a head-splitting headache began forming behind her eyes. It would do her no good to panic.

Oh, Sheldon... The guilt wouldn’t stop coming. She threw her face into her hands, shielding her eyes from the sunlight and her mind from the impending doom she knew she would have to confront.

She heard voices coming from the other side of the apartment and made herself stop feeling sorry for herself. Just long enough to get out of their apartment and down to hers so she could wallow in guilt for the rest of her life.

Would he break up with her now?

They had only been dating for a week and she had already ruined it, she thought miserably, mortified by her actions.

She climbed out of the bed and made her part of the bed up. At some point had she kicked her shoes off? They were on the floor next to the bed and she slid them on, wondering if it had been Sheldon who removed them. She didn’t remember any of it.

She stood to exit the bedroom but stopped abruptly, feeling nauseated. She leaned over and grabbed her knees, willing the sudden spin to her stomach to stop. She had drunk way more than she had intended but they all had been having such a fun time. Her self control had dwindled. Sheldon was probably disappointed in her, she thought with a pit in her stomach- her heart clenching.

After all those times he had warned her, told her to be careful- to not do it, and look at her. She had ruined what had been between them and had proved him right.

Stomach now in a better place, she straightened up and warily left the bedroom. The apartment was a little chilly so she crossed her arms over her chest, realizing she was still wearing a thin shirt and shorts. She paused in front of the bathroom door, seeing Sheldon sitting in his spot on the couch, eating what looked to be cereal and watching television. He was wearing a blue plaid bathrobe, she noticed and the sight of him sent a little flutter in her chest.

She wished she could escape without him noticing, without having to face what had happened between them, but she forced herself to take the necessary steps towards the living room.

Leonard saw her enter first and smirked into his coffee mug, wearing a red bathrobe. "Good morning, Carly."

At his voice, Carly froze and Sheldon’s head snapped up and turned towards her. She visibly paled. Unable to look directly at Sheldon she looked at Leonard instead and stepped off the stair to join him in the kitchen.

“M-Morning,” she replied shyly, her cheeks warming up as she felt Sheldon’s gaze on her. It was only a matter of time before he spoke, she knew that. “Do you mind if I have a cup?”

Leonard chuckled at something and then gestured to the coffee pot behind him. "Sure, of course."

“Thank you,” she told him gratefully and went over to it to pour herself some. “I hope it doesn’t make my stomach more upset,” she said, trying to seem lighthearted.

That was when Sheldon interrupted.

"You're sick?!" Sheldon’s voice was loud and deeply concerned. Either for her or himself. The reason was unclear.

Carly’s heart jumped when he spoke and she tried not to spill the orange mug of coffee in her hands while answering him in a wobbly voice. “Um, no. I'm just a bit nauseated from how much I drank last night.”

Sheldon went silent and Carly settled next to Leonard at the counter. He patted her hand in sympathy, a small smile on his face.

"Don't worry. It'll pass soon," he told her and she smiled appreciatively in return.

She chanced a glance at Sheldon then, taking a drink of her coffee. He was staring into his bowl of cereal in deep thought. Was he thinking of how to break up with her? She felt like she could cry at the thought.

She felt Leonard's eyes on her suddenly and she hesitantly met his. He looked down with an uncontrollable smirk before moving his glasses up his nose. "So you spent the night, hunh?"

Carly tensed at the question. She avoided his gaze, a blush on her cheeks. “Um, yes."

“Don’t harass my girlfriend, Leonard. You’ve had plenty of women spend the night!” Sheldon’s accusation shocked Carly and she looked up to see him walking towards them, his eyes narrowed at his roommate.

"I wasn’t harassing her Sheldon. I just asked her a question,” Leonard stated flatly, rolling his eyes before looking back over at Carly who looked incredibly uncomfortable with Sheldon now so close. "I'll leave you two alone. I need to go get ready for work."

Leonard knew that with Sheldon acting like a crazy person and Carly uncomfortable, they needed to talk whatever it was between them out - and Leonard didn’t want to be the target of Sheldon’s misplaced anger.

Carly watched Leonard disappear down the hall and then realized what he had just said. She looked over at the digital clock on their stove in shock. "He is working this early on a Saturday?” she asked Sheldon without thinking about it.

Sheldon went behind her, not looking at her in the eyes, to wash his bowl out in the sink.

"Yes," he said lowly with a small nod, his back to her. “He has a project he’s working on."

Carly felt uneasy being alone with him. She didn’t know what he was thinking and although she was trying to play casual, she knew that they’d have to confront the elephant in the room at some point.

Carly waited for Sheldon to awkwardly turn back around while holding the mug in her hands tightly. "I-I’m sorry.”

Sheldon looked up at her when she apologized, his eyes unreadable. “For what?”

Carly gulped back her guilt. Where did she begin? "I... everything.” For forcing herself on him. For making him uncomfortable. For passing out on him. For not listening to him about the alcohol.

He frowned, his eyes falling over to the side to stare into middle distance.

She shook, scared of being rejected by him. “I promised you that we would go slow... that I would be careful with the alcohol at Penny’s and I-I broke that promise.” Her voice cracked as she felt a sob threaten to come out of her then, as she forced herself to face the emotions she had been hiding from since waking.

He was quiet, too quiet. His face was expressionless and she didn’t know what to do or say at that point. His response made her realize just how bad she had messed up.

She had taken his trust and thrown it back into his face.

Suddenly, he took a staggering breath and straightened up in front of her, his eyes finally looking at her fully. She held her breath, worried about what he would say.

“I’ve given what happened between us last night a lot of thought. Admittedly I didn’t get much sleep...” he glanced down at his feet then returned his gaze to her with a look of vulnerability, which took her off guard. “I won’t lie to you and say that what happened was easy for me, b-but...”

He trailed off and looked away, trying to find the right words to explain himself to her.

She trembled, her fingers pressing hard on the mug in her hand. “But?” She prompted in a tiny voice, needing to know what he was thinking.

“At first you shocked me. I wasn’t prepared then and I- well, I ended up liking it.”

Carly’s mouth dropped and she was sure she hadn’t heard right. Liked it?

She vaguely remembered that he had said he was okay with her kissing him at some point before she had passed out but everything felt surreal and dreamlike that she hadn’t been sure if it had happened- if she had just imagined it.

Sheldon’s ears burned red from the confession and he quickly tried to recover from it. He hated feeling this way. He moved past her and headed for the coffee table, grabbing the remote to turn the television off.

“Did I hear you correctly? You liked it? Liked... kissing me?” Of course, Carly had to make him repeat it. It had been difficult enough to say it once.

He looked up and saw that she was approaching him, mug of coffee forgotten on the counter, and a look of pure disbelief on her face. He had told her he’d wanted it... perhaps she didn’t remember everything. She had been very intoxicated.

“Yes,” he told her quickly, not wanting to go into further detail. “It was, interesting.” Interesting that he liked it. That his body had responded to it. That he didn’t mind if they did it again.

Carly still was flabbergasted but she threaded her fingers together in front of her, beginning to feel guilty again “But I forced you, Sheldon. I made you uncomfortable. Don’t you hate me now?”

Sheldon had heard her ask that the night before and still didn’t get why she’d think that. “Why do you keep thinking I would hate you? I am uncomfortable every day of my life. Should I hate everyone?”

Carly balked and looked down. “So you don’t hate me for... what I did?”

Sheldon was exasperated. “Of course not! I couldn’t ever hate you. I like you,” he corrected her.

Carly’s eyes darted back to his so suddenly with so much emotion that he back-stepped, thrown off by it. She looked like she might cry.

Panicking, he went to her and grabbed her shoulders awkwardly, and pleaded. “Don’t cry- it’s okay. Just don’t cry!”

Carly trembled under his hands and he felt it. Close to her now, he saw the tears well up in her eyes as she looked back at him, her bottom lip quivering. She pulled it between her teeth, attempting to hold herself together at his demand, but she was struggling.

Sheldon’s eyes lowered to her mouth, trying to remember what exactly it had felt like to have it upon his. It had been soft, gentle, sensual- it had made his whole body warm and his toes curl.

Suddenly, she was throwing herself at him and it took his breath away- stunning him. Her arms wrapped around his middle, holding him to her and her face pressed against his chest. She shook and he knew she was crying.

Mortified by her reaction, he stood there unmoving, not understanding what was happening and why. “What’s wrong?!”

Carly grabbed onto him tighter, sobbing into his bathrobe. “I thought-ought you were going to lea-leave me because of what I di-did!”

Sheldon frowned, unable to understand why she’d think that. “What? Of course not.” Didn't she understand that by making her his girlfriend, he'd permanently housed her in his close social circle? That he didn't just let anyone this close to him and therefore this was a huge deal?

Carly just cried harder into him and he stared down at her, scared of her, and unsure what he should do. She didn’t seem like she was going to stop any time soon and so he stood there uselessly with his hands up, hovering over her body while she clung to him.

“D-Don’t cry, Carly,” he urged her, pleading and hoping she would stop. “I-I don’t know what to do to make you stop!” The idea of getting her a hot beverage was thrown out because she had just drank coffee a moment prior.

Carly hid her face into his chest, her sobs slowing and her breathing becoming easier instead of choked gasps. “Could you... hug me?” She asked him pitifully, voice muffled by the bathrobe.

Sheldon paused for a moment. Of course, he thought. Of course, that’s what he should have done. It’s what his mother would have done to him if he was upset.

Slowly, cautiously he lowered a hand to her back and a hand to her hair, holding her to him awkwardly. He was so much taller than her, it was a little uncomfortable but if this was what it took to get her to stop sobbing, he would do it.

He couldn’t stand to hear her cry. Especially because of him. "There, there," he muttered unevenly.

“Thank you,” she breathed against him and they held each other for a very long time.

Once calmed down enough, Carly slowly withdrew, but still held him. He kept his hands on her, uncertain if she would begin crying again and willing to be there just in case. They looked at each other for a long searching moment, Carly making sure this was real and Sheldon making sure she was not going to burst into hysterics.

“I’m sorry,” she told him again, her cheeks stained by tears and her eyes swollen from crying. He looked confused by her apology. “For crying. I- you mean a lot to me. I was so scared that I had lost you.”

Sheldon’s hand in her hair lowered to her shoulder and he held her steady. “You won’t lose me.”

Carly’s heart swelled with emotion and she knew she would have a hard time not falling in love with him. He was too good to be true.

Sheldon saw the look of awe on her face and he couldn’t help but feel like he had said the right thing. He felt pleased with himself.

Her expression changed and she began pulling away. He frowned from the loss of contact, surprising himself that he had enjoyed her being in his arms like that- looking up at him with such amazement.

“I should get going. I need a shower and to... brush my teeth,” she told him, looking uncomfortable and bashful all of a sudden.

Oh. “Of course, excellent hygiene is essential.”

Carly smiled at him. That specific smile that she reserved just for him. It made his heart swell at the sight and he couldn’t help but smile back.

“I’ll see you later, then?”

Sheldon nodded. He hoped so. He watched her leave his apartment, his emotions all over the place as he did so.

oO0Oo

The next weekend, Carly sat on Penny's bed, watching the blond go through her closet, throwing random outfits out onto the floor. Carly stared down at them in thought, playing with the hem of her purple knee-length dress and worrying her bottom lip in thought. "I don’t know, Penny. Are we really going to do this?"

Penny sighed dramatically, turning around to look at her and crossed her arms. "I know. It's completely ridiculous."

"I'll say," Bernadette confirmed miserably, as she sulked in a chair against the wall.

"It’s too late to back out now. We already told them we would go,” Penny reminded ruefully, leaning against the closet door frame.

"They looked so excited at the idea. How were we supposed to tell them no?” Bernadette sighed and leaned back in the chair, crossing her ankles.

"But costumes?" Carly asked with a small grimace. The last time she had worn a costume had been ten years ago for a Halloween party with her Grandmother’s bingo group, and even then it has just been cat ears and eyeliner drawn whiskers.

Penny sat down on her bed next to Carly and tried to smile. It was more of a wince. “It's just for four days. Maybe it will be fun?" She was always the optimist.

“But we have to wear costumes," Bernadette repeated, sounding just as put out as Carly.

Penny groaned and looked up at the ceiling, bummed. "Yeah, I know. I had to dress up with them before when we all went to a New Year's Eve Party at the comic book store."

"Why did you have to wear costumes to a New Year's Eve party?" Carly asked in confusion.

Penny huffed. "There was a costume contest and my kinda-sorta boyfriend at the time wanted to go with the guys."

“That’s awkward,” Carly chuckled, thinking that it had to have been since Leonard would have seen her with some other guy.

Penny withered at the memory. “You have no idea.”

Bernadette grinned though. "Who did you have to dress up as?"

Penny gritted her teeth, apparently regretting the whole thing. "Wonder Woman. It was the worst costume I have ever worn in my life and I have worn my share of slutty costumes."

They all sighed simultaneously, realizing they couldn’t get out of wearing the costumes. The guys had already made their enthusiasm known about it.

Sheldon had seemed rather excited to see what Carly would dress up as and had even given her a whole list of people he approved of. He was cute, of course, but she wasn’t the costume-wearing type. At least she didn't think so.

Carly bit her lip, thinking of her boyfriend’s twinkling eyes, and shrugged. “We wouldn't want to let them down."

“Yeah you’re right,” Penny agreed begrudgingly, before standing up and going back over to her closet.

"What costumes should we even dress up as?" Bernadette asked, glancing between Carly and Penny. “Are there any female superhero’s we could impress the guys with?”

“Sheldon gave me a list,” Carly told them. “But I left it in my apartment.”

Penny shrugged. "It’s fine. Go get my laptop off the table. We'll think of something."

Bernadette nodded and stood, disappearing out of the room.

"Comic-Con better be as exciting as they all say it is," Penny commented suddenly and Carly laughed.

"You mean you hope there is alcohol.”

Penny grinned over her shoulder at her. “You know me so well.”

"I had to take three days off of work for this," Carly told her, thinking about the fact that she was losing money to go spend time with her boyfriend and friend in Pennsylvania. It sounded exciting, sans the costumes part.

"So did I. Let’s hope I have enough money to pay my rent this month," Penny said flatly, grabbing a handful of her clothing to throw into her suitcase.

Bernadette returned and the girls began to research what they could find. After a couple of hours, they had decided and realized they’d need to go shopping.

Not that any of them were complaining. Carly was happy to spend the rest of her Saturday with them shopping and enjoying a meal out with them at a nice restaurant.

“So Howard’s finally deciding to move out with you?” Penny asked over her glass of wine.

Carly looked up from her salad curiously at her petite friend.

Bernadette gave them a rueful smile. “Sort of. He told me he’d let me help him pack and we would get moved out before Comic-Con but he's procrastinating.”

Penny frowned in sympathy and Carly leaned on an elbow. “He must be incredibly attached to his mom.”

Bernadette nodded and looked up at Carly from behind her glasses, annoyance on her face at the thought. “You have no idea. They did everything together. When I was helping him pack last night, I found his prom picture and they were dancing together.”

Penny choked at that. “You’ve got to be kidding me?”

Carly was surprised. “Wow...”

Bernadette sighed and looked down at her fat glass of wine. “Yeah that’s what I’m dealing with...” she shook her head and then with a sudden thought, look e up at Carly with a playful smile on her lips. “But enough about me! I heard that someone spent the night with their boyfriend last weekend.”

Carly ducked her head, her face burning in embarrassment. She couldn’t help but smile though. “Yeah, I did. Not on purpose. I passed out and probably gave him a heart attack.”

Penny snickered from behind a hand. “That’s not what I heard. Leonard told me that Sheldon confessed to kissing you.”

Carly wanted to hide under the table and she slid her hand over her face, wishing her face wasn’t as red as it was.

Bernadette squealed in delight. “Whaaaaat?”

Carly shook her head and set the record straight. “I kissed him. I actually forced myself on him. I still feel bad about it.”

Penny laughed. “Honey, don’t feel bad about it! Somehow you kickstarted Sheldon into puberty.”

Bernadette giggled and gave Carly a raise of her eyebrows. “How was it? Did he brush his teeth afterward and spray you with Lysol?”

Penny burst into another round of laughter at that, Bernadette joining in. They were teasing, Carly knew but she couldn’t help but feel like they may have been making fun of Sheldon.

Feeling a little defensive she crossed her arms over her chest. “No, of course not! He just - well he didn’t move. Not at first.”

That sobered them and Penny quirked an eyebrow, suddenly very interested. “What do you mean ‘not at first’?”

Carly realized she had said too much and stared at their waiting faces. It wouldn’t hurt to tell them, would it? Sheldon had already spoken about it to Leonard so... it would be the same.

She took a deep breath and straightened in her seat. “At first he froze up. I thought maybe he would push me off of him, do all those things Bernadette said- but then he... kissed me back.”

Both girls squealed and Carly looked around them hastily, worried they were causing a disruption. No one was looking at them though.

Composing herself slightly, Bernadette begged for details. “Sheldon kissed you back? Like- tongue and all that?”

Penny shook her head, disagreeing. “I couldn’t see him french kissing.”

Carly tilted her head, wondering what it would be like. “No, he didn’t. It was all closed mouth kisses but... wow- it was amazing. That is until I passed out.”

Penny fanned at herself like she was hot. “Man I can’t believe that happened. And to think! It’s all because of us, Bernadette.”

They high-fived one another and Carly rolled her eyes at their antics. She was glad to have friends like them. They were so supportive and genuinely seemed to like her.

She was thankful for this new chapter in her life.

When Penny and Carly arrived at the apartment building, the girls were surprised to see Leonard and Sheldon already walking up the first flight of stairs.

“Oh! Well hello boys,” Penny greeted loudly, happily. She was a little tipsy from the amount of wine she had consumed at the restaurant.

The men turned around to see them, Leonard taking in his overly happy girlfriend and Sheldon glancing from Penny to Carly with a slight frown. His eyes ran over her and she held back a blush, wondering what he was thinking.

“Where were you guys?” Leonard asked them while Penny walked up the couple stairs to link arms with him.

“We did some shopping and got a bite to eat.”

“Did you drink?” Sheldon asked and Carly was aware that by the way he stared at her, he was asking her directly.

“It was just one glass of wine. On my part at least...” she explained, letting him draw his conclusions about Penny.

Sheldon visibly relaxed and she felt comfortable enough to approach him, no longer wanting to stand by the landing.

The four of them began walking up the stairs. Leonard and Penny were a few stairs ahead of them and Carly fell in step beside Sheldon.

“What’s in the bag?” He asked her and she looked down at her hand, forgetting she had been holding it that whole time.

Panicking, she made sure he wouldn’t be able to see inside. They had all wanted to surprise the guys with their costumes. “Oh, just some clothes,” she told him. It wasn’t technically a lie.

Sheldon didn’t seem interested in it and so he dropped the subject. “Have you thought any more about who you’re going to dress up as for Comic-Con?”

Carly smiled, not missing the anxious excitement in his voice. He was looking forward to their trip. Probably more so for Comic-Con but she still wondered if it was partly because she would be there.

She hoped so.

“Yes actually. I think I have it figured out.” She caught his eyes when he looked at her in surprise.

“Is it one from the list I gave you?” He sounded so hopeful that it broke her heart to tell him otherwise.

“You’ll see,” she told him instead, hoping that when he saw her costume on that he’d forget about that list.

The smile that appeared on his face as he thought his list had been helpful made her heart melt. He was so cute.

With Leonard and Penny ahead of them, talking lightly to each other, she took the opportunity to take his hand. He jolted from the touch and she could feel the protest, the twitch to pull away, but he surprised her by holding it back.

She caught his eyes and they smiled at each other, a knowing look in their eyes.

“So how was your day?” She asked him, as they neared the second landing. She realized that she would have to part with him soon, with a pit in her belly. She had just seen him. She didn’t want to separate again.

“It was fine. Leonard and I went to a lecture this morning, then I convinced him to take me to the train store. They finally have those tiny models I’ve been looking for,” he told her happily and she felt her heart clench.

He was so darn adorable.

“That’s great, Sheldon.” She smiled up at him as they paused at her door, Leonard, and Penny disappearing up the stairs and around the corner.

Sheldon hesitated to leave her as well, returning the smile as he gazed into her eyes. “I’ll see you downstairs at 8:15 then?”

Carly’s heart skipped a beat at the hopeful tone in his voice. She nodded. “Of course, it’s laundry night.”

Sheldon grinned and surprised her by giving her hand a little squeeze before she watched him spin around, leaving her there at her door. 


	8. Chapter 8: Comic Con

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What would Spock do?" - Sheldon

Chapter 8: Comic-Con

Carly had to admit she had been extremely nervous about the trip. Not only would she have to board a plane, something she only did once a year for the annual library conference, but she would be spending four whole days with Sheldon - in the same hotel room.

It had surprised everyone, especially Carly. He had behaved like it was the only sensible idea- as Penny and Leonard and Howard and Bernadette were paired in their respective rooms- which left Raj by himself. Sheldon, who although preferred to be alone and did not want to share a room with Raj, booked a room with double beds for himself and Carly.

In his mind, at the time, it had made sense.

Carly of course was fine with it, but she was anxious. She had spent an entire night with him before but that had been an accident and she'd been drunk out of her mind.

This time, she would be sober and she would know exactly what was going on.

After the long plane ride to Pennsylvania and the short trip to the hotel, Carly and Sheldon parted ways with their friends to make their way up to their room to get settled in before dinner.

Sheldon was all jitters and talking excitedly about what the weekend would hold for them while Carly just listened half-heartedly, unable to focus on anything but the fact that they would be in a bedroom alone together.

It was Sheldon, obviously, and they hadn't even kissed since that first time, so she really couldn't expect much out of it- but she wouldn't stop imagining what _could_ happen.

He opened the door to their room and she walked in after him on bated breath.

"This is my bed," Sheldon declared immediately, setting his suitcase down onto the bed closest to the door.

"That's fine," Carly replied with a small smile and walked over to the other bed, swinging her suitcase up onto it. She turned around to see Sheldon walking around the room, appearing to be searching for something.

"What are you doing?" she asked him curiously.

Sheldon turned to look at her seriously, "Do you see the thermostat?"

Carly bit her lip to stop herself from smiling fondly at him. He was a particular boy. She looked around, before spotting it hidden behind the curtain of the window. "Right there," she told him, pointing to it.

He zoomed over in relief to adjust it. She knew she wouldn't have to wait too long to find out why it was so serious because he would always explain himself whether people wanted to know or not-

"In case you were wondering, the thermostat should stay at a prompt seventy-two degrees at all times. In addition, since we are sharing a hotel room, we should put down some regulations," he told her, all business, and coming to a stop in front of her while crossing his arms.

Carly blinked dumbly for a moment but realized she should have seen this coming. She had been around them long enough to know Sheldon and Leonard shared a roommate agreement in order to live with another. She knew it made Sheldon feel better about the situation.

She sat down onto her bed to give him her full attention, wanting him to know that she would do anything he asked of her. "Lay it on me."

Sheldon squinted his eyes at her in confusion at her words but let it go to allow a small pleased smile appear on his face. Perhaps sharing a hotel room with her would be easier than he had thought.

He composed himself to tell her his schedule and what hers should be to coincide. He was once again delighted that Carly never thought of him as a nuisance. She hadn't ever complained and she didn't. Not once.

He was lucky to have found her... if he believed in luck, that is.

oO0Oo

" _God_ , I am so glad that I don't have to share a room with Sheldon," Leonard said the next day in his Batman costume, waiting down in the hotel lobby with everyone except the girls - pointedly ignoring all the stares they were being given by the other guests of the hotel. Penny had shown him just how much she enjoyed sharing a hotel room with him into the long hours of the night.

After breakfast together and lots of coffee, they had all separated to get dressed for the day.

Sheldon, dressed as Spock, glared at Leonard's jab. "Me too," he replied wistfully. "I don't have to worry about you changing the thermostat or clogging up the toilet when you ' _accidentally_ ' eat milk chocolate."

Leonard glowered up at his roommate. "That was an accident and I wish you would _stop_ bringing it up!"

Sheldon shrugged, unruffled by Leonard's hostility, and adjusted his pointed Vulcan ear. "I'm just saying."

Howard rolled his eyes, pulling up his green lantern glove with a sudden dreamy thought. "I wonder what the girls dressed up as. Bernadette never told me... no matter _how much_ I begged," he muttered the last part, obviously put out by it.

"Penny didn't say either," Leonard told him thoughtfully. "Although I'm hoping she wears that Wonder Woman costume again, that was _so_ hot."

Sheldon snorted at him, finding the conversation exasperating, while Raj returned after using the vending machine to buy a water bottle.

He grinned to himself as he wore his Hulk costume. "I'm so glad I chose to wear this, it makes me feel so much stronger-" he mused happily, before something caught his eye over the guys' shoulders, making his eyes almost bug out of his head.

" _Hey_ boys," Penny announced suggestively and the guys turned around to look at her, Carly, and Bernadette. Many of the other hotel occupants were gaping at them already.

Penny was dressed as Catwoman, a black spandex jumper that hung to every curve on her body, with knee-high black boots. Her hair was down underneath a black mask and she was smirking at Leonard pointedly, who was visibly sweating in front of her - as if he may pass out.

Howard gulped as he stared at his fiancee, wearing a Star Sapphire outfit. It was a long-sleeved pink leotard looking piece of clothing, with a little white star over her hips. She looked very uncomfortable and she shifted in her thigh-high pink boots. The top of her face was covered with a pink mask that ran up over her head into a crown that had a white star embroidered upon it. She wore her glasses over the top of it, smiling up at Howard, pleased with his reaction. It was as if all of his wildest fantasies had come true.

Sheldon wasn't looking at either of the women. His eyes were firmly intent on Carly and his lips slightly parted as he breathed, almost heavily. She had her brown hair pulled up in a high ponytail and was wearing a familiar short red dress that could only belong to Uhura off of Star Trek. She wore knee-length black boots over her bare legs and she was biting her lip as she watched Sheldon's reaction carefully.

In all honesty, Carly had been unsure of how Sheldon would take her costume upon seeing it. She had never worn something so skin revealing in front of him before and truthfully, she felt so out of her element that even she was surprised by herself. The girls had been shocked, excitedly telling her that Sheldon would be stunned by how hot she was, but now that she stood in front of his silent form- she didn't know anymore.

For a long drawn-out moment, she wondered if he was frozen in shock but then his eyes slowly dropped down her frame and back up, thoroughly assessing her attire. Her face lit up at the attention, wondering what he was thinking.

Carly cleared her throat and found her voice, as the others began talking about their outfits to their respected partners. "Do you like it?" she asked timidly to Sheldon, taking a step towards him.

Sheldon suddenly widened his eyes when she advanced and took a step back from her, looking scared. She frowned at him, not understanding the reaction. "Is there something wrong?" she asked worriedly, trying to take another step to him.

He stepped back again, his back hitting into a large pillar behind him. It went unnoticed. "You're _Uhura_ ," he stated dumbly, his voice a bit scratchy.

Carly frowned, suddenly feeling silly for wearing this outfit and gaining so much attention from it. She had hoped Sheldon would have been excited by it.

Disappointed, she tried to explain. "Penny told me you were going as Spock so she thought that I could dress as Uhura... because you know, Spock and Uhura have some kind of thing going on..." she mumbled, feeling uncomfortable as his eyes changed from fear to that little glow that told her he was about to say something contradictory.

"That was only on the new movie," he corrected her, his voice lowering to a normal pitch as his eyes raked over her again. "Spock would have never kissed her in the series."

The way he said it. The way he had chosen his words. It was too much and her heart sank, feeling stung as if he had told her directly that he would never kiss her again. "So you don't like it," she concluded, the hurt evident in her voice.

Sheldon crossed his arms over his blue shirt, defensively. "I never said that. I was just pointing it out."

Still, he didn't sound like he approved of it. She glanced at Leonard and Howard fawning all over their girlfriends and then felt rejected.

Carly glanced up at Sheldon and then turned her face away, suddenly wishing she hadn't come. "Fine."

She knew she shouldn't be this sensitive about it. Sheldon wasn't like the other guys. She knew that, it was just that she had let herself hope that he would have a better reaction.

Sheldon stopped his front upon realizing by her brisk tone that there was something wrong with her all of a sudden. "Are you all right?"

Carly returned to him for a moment, seeing the worry in his eyes, before shaking her head. "It's _fine_ Sheldon." She hadn't meant to say it in such an irritated tone, but the damage was done and she didn't miss the flash of hurt in his eyes.

She didn't normally speak to him in that way. Like everyone else did. Guilt crept into her and she looked down at the ground, ashamed that she would treat him that way.

She shouldn't even be angry with him. She was the one who had let herself hope in the first place.

Before they could say anymore, Leonard called out to them from the hotel entrance. "Hey guys, come on!"

They were all beginning to head out the door.

Upset with herself, Carly sighed and made herself move. "Let's go," she told him before turning and walking away, leaving him to follow after.

Sheldon frowned at her back, not understanding what had happened between them but knowing something was wrong. His jaw clenched, feeling dread rise from his belly, and forced himself to follow after her.

oO0Oo

Penny wasn't the only one who had noticed the tension between Carly and Sheldon. Neither of them were speaking to each other and she didn't think they had even stood together since arriving at the convention center. Anyone with eyes knew something was going on.

Instead, Sheldon had been pestering Leonard, thoroughly ticking her boyfriend off- Penny was worried. At the hotel, she had seen the way Sheldon had looked at Carly.

He had looked like a deer in headlights, completely besotted with her. If she didn't believe their relationship was progressing, the look on his face confirmed it.

The only thing she could conclude was that Sheldon ruined the moment with his big fat mouth, somehow hurting Carly's feelings.

The poor girl looked miserable and was closing in on herself by the moment.

Penny knew she needed to do something and so she approached Carly, grabbing her by the arm and startling her to pull her away from the group. "Hey girl, I saw some free candy back there. Let's go rob them bitches."

She caught Leonard's eyes and gave him a meaningful stare to which he rose his eyebrows, then it dawned on him. He nodded to her in approval and turned to see Sheldon walking ahead of them, by himself.

He frowned. Something was seriously off.

As soon as the girls were out of eyeshot, Penny rounded on the brunette. "All right. What did that weird asshole say to you?" she sternly asked Carly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Carly was shocked at Penny's intuitiveness and then deflated. "It's that noticeable?"

Penny rolled her eyes, thinking of the two of them sulking while everyone else was having fun. " _Very_."

Carly took a deep breath, her eyebrows knitting together. "He didn't do anything bad."

Penny snorted, not believing it for a second. "It's _Sheldon_. It couldn't have been anything _good_."

Carly shook her head, her face pained. "No, it was me. I let myself think that he would have a normal reaction to seeing his girlfriend dressed like this but..." she trailed off and then shook herself, coming to her senses. "He was just being himself. It's not a big deal but I accidentally made it one. I got angry at him and I feel guilty about it but, I'm so upset right now I can't bring myself to tell him sorry."

Penny furrowed her eyebrows, but she understood. She gave Carly a sympathetic smile and reached over, squeezing her arm comfortingly. "I think you took his reaction the wrong way. He wasn't put off by how you looked, he was awed by it."

Carly bit her bottom lip and didn't look believing. "All he seemed to think about when he saw it was how inaccurate it was to the tv series. Do you honestly think he liked it?"

Penny nodded dramatically, wishing Carly had more self-confidence in herself to recognize it. "He was practically _drooling_. I saw him with my own eyes. He was probably fighting the urge to have his way with you right in the middle of the hotel lobby!" Penny laughed, sure it was an exaggeration but she didn't think she was that far off from the truth.

Carly blushed darkly at her words and looked down at the floor in embarrassment. "I highly doubt that."

Penny groaned, tugging at Carly's hand. "Carly come on, let's enjoy ourselves. We look ridiculous and we get free stuff." She gave the woman a grin which Carly reluctantly returned. It didn't quite reach her eyes. "Apologize to him, do _something_. He is driving us all mad and I hate seeing you so sad. So have fun with your boyfriend... or, whatever fun _is_ with you guys. You get to spend quality time with him for the next couple of days- _enjoy_ it!"

Carly made a face that let Penny know she was getting through to her. Thank goodness.

"Oh, all right," Carly conceded, a smile tugging at her lips.

Penny grinned, happy with the outcome, and then tugged her friend to grab candy before they returned to the guys.

Carly cautiously approached Sheldon who was picking through a stack of comic books on a free product table.

She paused at his side, uncertain of what she would say to him. He looked so adorable in his costume, with his fake pointy ears and his drawn on eyebrows. This had been something they both had looked forward to. She didn't want to ruin their time because she couldn't get a handle on her emotions.

Sheldon hated that. She needed to get herself together.

"Sheldon?" She worried her bottom lip with nerves.

He didn't look at her at first, carefully looking through the pile of comic books. She knew he had heard her, but she made herself wait patiently until he looked up at her. He held a Batman comic book in his hands and said her name curtly, his eyes hesitant. "Carly."

"Sheldon, I am so sorry I got angry with you at the hotel. You didn't do anything wrong. I was just being overly sensitive," she confessed, feeling worse for wear. She hated disappointing him and she seemed to keep doing it even when she didn't mean to.

His eyes squinted a little at her confession and then fell from her face, staring down at the floor in thought. "Why did you get upset?"

Carly felt a tiny blush grace her cheeks and she swallowed thickly. "I... didn't think you liked my costume. I picked it out specifically because I thought you would."

Sheldon's gaze snapped to hers when she spoke and she froze, unable to read the expression in his eyes.

"How could you think I didn't like it? You're dressed up as one of my favorite Star Trek characters. Admittedly, I would prefer Captain Kirk but- Uhura is a lady and so are you."

Carly felt stupid. Her heart fluttered in her chest at his words and she looked away from him, ashamed of herself and her actions. What was wrong with her?

However before she could reply, they were pushed out of the way by a large group of people trying to get to the free table.

Probably without thinking, Sheldon quickly took her hand and pulled her away from the table before any of them could touch them.

Carly was surprised by the sudden action and also the fact that _he_ had initiated physical contact for the first time. She glanced down at their hands before he could let go, feeling overwhelmed by it all.

"Carly, I never want to hurt your feelings."

Carly shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, his hand still firmly holding hers. He had a way of making her heart hurt and melt at the same time. "You didn't. I just expected a different reaction."

Sheldon blinked in confusion. "What sort of reaction were you hoping for?"

Carly suddenly wanted him to let her go and she struggled to pull free from him but was surprised by how strong his grip was. She fidgeted in front of him, her eyes glossing over his searching face. "Um, it doesn't matter."

Sheldon frowned, intent on knowing the answer. "No, I want to know."

Carly knew there was no way out of it. Sheldon would get it out of her eventually if he wanted to. She took a deep breath, unable to look him in the eyes when she said it. "Well... I guess I was hoping you'd say I looked nice."

Sheldon didn't say anything for a long pause and it made her slowly look back up at him. He wasn't looking at her face though, and instead was eyeing her appearance again with concentration. Her breathing quickened at the intense appraisal. Then his eyes returned to hers, looking similar to how he had looked before she had kissed him.

"Very well," he said quietly, his face contorting uneasily at his words but she could tell he wholeheartedly meant them. "You look nice, Carly."

The words were innocent enough but they resonated deep in Carly. They moved her. Made her eyes mist much to her embarrassment.

Sheldon wanted to make her happy and he liked how she looked.

Her bottom lip slid between her teeth as she held back her emotions. They were in public after all and it was with great difficulty that she composed herself.

Carly wanted him to know though, how much his words meant to her. She rose their entangled hands to her heart, where it beat steadily for only him.

"Thank you, Sheldon," she told him, every bit of her feelings for him evident in her voice.

Sheldon's eyes widened a fraction at their hands and just exactly where he was touching and he glanced up at her, obviously uncertain on what he should say or do.

She realized this and didn't want to push him into discomfort. She hoped she had gotten her point across and promptly released his hand, which he snatched back to himself with offending speed.

She didn't let it deter her. He had told her everything she had wanted to know.

"Hey, guys!" Some kids had appeared at their sides with cameras. "Can we get a picture with you two? You look great!"

Sheldon raised an eyebrow at the kids, refusal on his tongue but Carly stopped him, with a "Sure! We'd love to."

"We _would_?" Sheldon asked in alarm. She gave him a reassuring smile.

"Why not? They think we're Spock and Uhura, right?" She wanted this moment forever. She turned to the group then. "Could you take our picture too with this?" She handed over her phone to the mother of the group who stood back as they all began forming around them.

"Absolutely!" She gave Carly a wide grin.

Sheldon gulped, idly feeling as if he was being held hostage.

The kids cheered happily and gathered around them. Their mother stood in front of them, two phones in her hands.

Sheldon scooted as close to Carly as he possibly could to avoid touching any of the kids. She could feel how uncomfortable he was but she selfishly needed this picture.

Carly reached down between them and took his hand, hoping to reassure him without words. Distractedly, he clenched onto her hand and held on for dear life. She smiled, glad that she was helping.

He threw up a Star Trek hand gesture with his other hand and Carly copied him. Soon, the picture was taken and the kids were running away while shouting their thanks.

Carly retrieved her phone as the woman walked over and handed it to her before leaving. Carly looked down at the picture on her phone and grinned. She would keep it forever. She grinned up at her boyfriend. "That wasn't so bad."

Sheldon was looking down at the picture over her shoulder and his frown turned into a look of wistful amusement. "You're doing the sign wrong."

Carly darted her gaze down to the photo, looking between Sheldon and her hands. "Oh! I did it with the wrong fingers." She blushed with an embarrassed smile.

Sheldon laughed and that was when they realized they were still holding hands, that he hadn't let go. They looked down simultaneously.

"Oh! Sorry I didn't mean-" Carly tried to remove her hand from his but he held it tightly.

She snapped her eyes up to meet his and she was surprised to see a small smile on his face. "I've gotten used to this."

Carly swooned at that and smiled softly. "I'm so glad."

Their eyes caught and they got lost in them for a long moment, their feelings for one another evident in their gazes.

"You two coming?"

It was Howard and he was calling over at them, expectantly.

The moment broke, and they released their hands to walk side by side back to the group - smiles on their faces for the rest of the day.

As it should have been.

oO0Oo

Carly and Sheldon entered their hotel room after dinner with their friends after an announcement from Penny that they should all go swimming down in the hotel pool.

Carly wasn't a swimmer by any means but she didn't want to miss out on a chance to hang out with her friends as much as possible on the trip.

"Penny is _delusional_ to think we'd go swimming in that large excuse of toilet water," Sheldon muttered, closing the door behind them.

Carly winced. She should have known he would be against the idea. She sat down on her bed and removed her boots, needing them off because her feet were killing her.

She glanced up at him as he sat all of his belongings he had collected that day at the convention on his bed to look through them.

"I was thinking of going, Sheldon," she hesitantly told him, knowing he wouldn't be happy with that.

He stood up from leaning over his stuff and gave her a look of astonishment. "What? _Why_? I thought you'd want to spend time with me?"

The way he said it made it sound like he was preferring her over the pool but she knew better, even though her heart wanted to hope it was true. She slid her other boot off and then sat up on the bed, giving him a look.

"Of course I want to spend time with you. I was hoping you'd come with me," she explained.

His face squished up into a disgusted look. "I would never go to a public swimming pool, Carly. Do you know how many germs are in there?"

Carly grimaced apologetically. "No."

Sheldon huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, taking a step toward her. "Well _I_ do and if you knew what I did, then you wouldn't go either." He paused as she looked down, in dismay - wishing he would change his mind but it wasn't sounding like he would. "Oh! _Look_ , I have an Aquaman bobblehead!"

Carly looked up at him then, seeing that he had returned to his stuff and had found a green and orange dressed figurine, to which he was giddily looking it over.

She sighed and made herself get up, disappointed. "I guess I'll go by myself then," she said and went over to her suitcase by her bed to find the bathing suit she had packed.

Penny had informed her well in advance that the hotel had an indoor pool and that she was planning on going.

Sheldon looked over at her silently, watching her kneel in front of her suitcase, grab what appeared to be strings of some kind, and then get up to head to the bathroom.

He frowned, not liking the fact that she was leaving him. He followed her to the bathroom, stopping the door from closing with his hand. She jumped and snapped her gaze to him, her eyes wide and surprised. "Wait."

She frowned at him and he faltered. He removed his hand from the door and crossed his arms again, feeling vulnerable. "I'm confused. I thought you came here with me. Why are you so intent on spending time with Penny and the others?"

Carly looked a little guilty and he wondered if he had convinced her to stay by inadvertently guilt-tripping her. "I'm here for _all_ of you. Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that we are spending more time together and that my boyfriend is sharing a hotel room with me... but I do want to hang out with Penny too."

Sheldon's feelings were hurt then. She wasn't there for just him as he had thought. "Oh. I see."

Carly realized that she had upset him. "No, Sheldon- don't look like that."

Sheldon shook his head. "No, no it's fine. I get it. Go and... hang out with your friends."

She watched him with an aching heart as he left the bathroom doorway and sulked to his bed. What was she supposed to do now?

Torn, she dropped her bathing suit on the bathroom vanity and approached Sheldon at his bed. His back was to her and so she wasn't sure if he knew she was there or not, but she decided to do the only thing she could think of to show him just how much he meant to her.

She wrapped her arms around his middle and pressed her face against his back. He jerked, startled, and made a move to turn around but she held him tightly to her, pressing herself up against him and not willing to let go.

"Sheldon, please don't be upset with me. You mean the most to me," she told him honestly, trying to convey what she felt. "If you don't want me to go, I won't go. We can... we can watch one of your movies and hang out here until we fall asleep!"

Sheldon slumped in her arms and breathed heavily against her. When he turned this time, she let him go to look up into his sorrowful face.

"No, it's fine," he told her, before glancing upwards with a sigh, coming to grips with something. "Just because I don't feel comfortable doing something doesn't mean you have to miss out. Just... make sure to take a _really_ good shower when you return."

Carly bit her lip, staring up at him and knowing it had been hard for him to say any of that and mean it. "Are you sure?"

Sheldon gave her a half-hearted smile and nodded. "I'm sure."

Carly still felt conflicted by it, but she honestly did want to hang out with the others. She had always wanted to spend time down at a pool with friends. "Thank you, Sheldon... although," she paused and gave him a look underneath her eyelashes. "I will miss you."

Sheldon rolled his eyes at her with a playful smile and she grinned impishly. " _Yeah_ , yeah okay- go on."

She wrinkled her nose with a smile and then left him to change. When the door shut, Sheldon sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands.

He would miss her too.


	9. Chapter 9: The Pool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "In the future, swimming isn't going to be optional." - Sheldon

Chapter 9: The Pool

Carly peeked her head out at Sheldon from the doorway of the bathroom. She bit her lip, finding him sitting on his bed with his back up against the headboard, reading a comic book.

Her stomach flopped. There was no way of getting out of this. She hadn’t thought about it before, but she would need a shirt to go over her bikini. There was no way she would parade down to the pool dressed this way.

In truth, she had never even worn a bikini. Penny had influenced her and with giddy inspiration, she had bought it. Now actually wearing it, she felt extremely self-conscious.

“Um, Sheldon?”

He looked up at her, blinking at her in confusion by the way she was looking out at him from behind the doorway, shielding her body.

“C-Could you grab that black shirt over on my bed?” She asked, trying to remain calm.

He glanced over at her bed, seeing the shirt, and sat his comic book down. “Oh, of course.” He stood and grabbed the shirt before heading over to her. She snatched it from him as soon as he handed it over, taking him off guard. “Carly, what’s wrong?”

She blushed darkly and averted her eyes. Of course, he had to ask. “I just need something to wear over my bikini.”

Understanding crossed his features and he was about to walk away, as she no longer needed him, but then he froze, it dawning on him what she had said. “B-Bikini? You’re wearing a bikini?”

Carly couldn’t have been any redder with that question. “Y-Yes. Against my better judgment,” she admitted.

Sheldon gaped at her. “You’re going to wear that downstairs? With everyone?”

Carly blinked, not understanding where he was going with his questions. “Um, yes?”

Sheldon seemed to panic. “But why? You’ll be practically naked!”

Oh, that was what he was referring to. Carly smiled gently at him. “Sheldon, everyone is going to be wearing a bathing suit at the pool. Penny and Bernadette will be wearing bikinis too.”

Sheldon blinked rapidly, unable to understand just what she was thinking. “A bikini? What are you some harlot? You’re not a supermodel on top of a car, Carly- you’re a librarian.”

Carly was offended now and she narrowed her eyes but kept herself from saying anything that she would regret. “Thanks for pointing that out,” she wisecracked. “Look, Sheldon when I moved here I decided to try new things- this is one of them. It’s not a big deal.”

None of what she was saying reassured him but he snapped his mouth shut. “What if someone hits on you?”

Carly frowned. “I highly doubt that will happen. Besides, even if it did I would shoot them down. I already have the best boyfriend in the world.”

She was trying, trying to get him to be okay with it. He looked away, extremely uneasy with the situation all over again. “Don’t try to flatter me, young lady.”

Carly rolled her eyes, realizing it was going no where with him, “Okay I gotta get dressed.” She shut the door on him before he could reply and quickly slid the Batman shirt on over her pink bikini. It was the only long shirt she had brought that would cover everything.

She opened the door back up after gathering her Uhura costume and underwear in her arms, finding Sheldon still standing by the door where she had left him.

He glanced down at her bare legs and gulped. Good lord, he thought. His heart thumped in his chest and his breathing got weird. Was he having a panic attack? He took a step back, letting her move past him, and watched her put what was in her hands away.

Perhaps it was a good thing she was leaving. If she was going to dress like that then he didn’t think he would be able to deal with it. Although the idea of anyone else seeing her like that made him angry.

He didn’t know what to do.

“I won’t be gone for very long,” she told him, sliding on some flip flops from her bag and walking through the room towards the door.

Oh no, was she leaving already?

She paused in front of him and he stared, wondering what she was thinking about because she looked hesitant. But then it disappeared from her face, baffling him, and she smiled.

“Don’t have too much fun without me,” she teased and he frowned, not understanding the joke, and then she left.

And he let her.

Down at the pool, everyone was already splashing and having fun. Carly saw them huddled around each other in a corner by the furthest wall.

When she approached them, Penny grinned brightly, looking like a supermodel in her red bikini. Leonard was having a hard time keeping his eyes off of her.

“Hey guys,” Carly said with a small wave. Bernadette, in her purple bikini, looked behind her and gave her a pitiful look.

“Sheldon isn’t coming?” She asked anyway.

Carly sighed and slid her flip flops off before she sat down next to Penny. “No, he compared the pool to toilet water,” she told them, putting her feet in the cool water.

None of them looked surprised. Penny patted her shoulder. “Some things never change.”

Carly gave her a wry smile. “It’s all right. He has already gone out of his comfort zone for me in so many other ways- I don’t want to pressure him.”

Howard and Raj were tossing a beach ball back and forth in the water and she watched them, as Bernadette floated on her back peacefully near them. Leonard sat on the other side of Penny, a shirt on and looking as if he would rather not get wet.

“Sheldon’s always been like that though,” Leonard told Carly, deep thought on his face.

She looked over at him. “I figured.”

“Yeah but I mean look- you kissed him and he didn’t run away! I mean that’s gotta count for something,” Penny said, her hands stretched above her with a lazy smile. She dropped her hands, giving Carly a wink. “I’d give it another month- he’ll be all over you.”

Carly rolled her eyes, highly doubting that. Not Sheldon.

“Hey wanna play chicken?” Howard asked from the pool, looking at them hopefully.

“Sure, if you can hold us up,” Penny laughed and Bernadette dropped her float to stand in the shallower end of the pool.

“No offense, Howie but I think you’d do better on my shoulders.”

Howard pouted, probably miffed that his fiancée was right.

Leonard snickered. “Hey, that’s an idea. Howard, you get on Bernadette’s shoulders. I’ll get on Penny’s and... well Carly I think you’ll have to be on Raj’s. I don’t think you’ll be able to hold him up.”

Raj glared at him, not appreciating the jab at his weight but said nothing. Carly blushed and shook her head. “Oh don’t mind me, I’ll be fine. You guys go ahead. I’ll cheer the winner on.”

Penny gave her a once over. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel left out.”

Carly waved her off. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. I’m just glad to be here.”

Penny gave her a quick smile and both she and Leonard jumped into the pool, joining Bernadette and Howard who were already trying to get into position.

It was hilarious, to say the least. The girls were having a hard time keeping the guys up, but they did their best to play at least a couple of rounds - with of course some bickering.

Raj leaned against the pool wall, next to Carly and she glanced down at him while the others played and splashed each other.

“How are you, Raj?” She asked him and he jumped, not expecting her to talk to him and he looked up at her quickly before averting his gaze nervously.

Then, reluctantly he put his thumb up to tell her that he was good.

She smiled. He was trying. “Good,” she told him, to which he glanced again at her and slowly let a smile appear on his face.

She wished he was more comfortable, poor guy.

“Hey, good looking. What’re you doing down here with these nerds?”

A gruff, unfamiliar voice spoke from behind her that made Raj and her both jump.

Carly looked up at a man, probably in his late thirties who was currently leering down at her. She felt a shudder run up her spine. He was a creep.

“No thank you,” she snapped, turning her head away and refusing to give him any more attention.

“No, thank you? Such a polite little thing. Say... wanna grab a drink at the bar across the street?”

A creep and stupid.

“I said no thank you,” she bit off, staring firmly ahead. Raj glanced between them uncomfortably.

“Oh come on, sweetheart. It’s just a drink-“

“The lady said no!”

Carly started and spun herself around to see none other than Sheldon in his Spock uniform- minus the ears and eyebrows, standing behind the creepy guy with a look that registered both terror and anger at once. He was visibly shaking.

He had spoken so loud that it had gained the others' attention and they headed for them, needing to know what was going on.

Carly struggled to her feet and the guy turned to look at Sheldon, taking in his appearance for a couple of beats, and then laughed.

Full-on laughed.

Sheldon colored and looked away from everyone uncomfortably.

“What did you say, ya little pansy?” The man asked, standing up taller to appear intimidating. Sheldon winced at his words but tried not to notice any more as he glanced at Carly, worry in his eyes.

“Hey, you creep get lost before we call the hotel security,” Penny appeared at Carly’s side, obviously getting ready to make sure nothing happened to any of her friends.

The man turned back around, facing them as Penny spoke. He lewdly looked down her body and Carly crossed her arms over hers, wishing the guy would just get the hint and leave.

“My my, you nerds sure have some beautiful ladies. Come on, what’s your secret- I'd love to know.”

“For one, self-respect,” Leonard muttered under his breath from behind Penny.

“Don’t make me warn you twice,” Penny threatened, taking a step towards him. “I know where to grab and I won’t be nice about it.”

The guy narrowed his eyes at Penny but seemed to realize he wasn’t going to get anywhere. He threw his hands up in defense. “Geez, can’t a guy get a hookup around here,” he muttered but thankfully walked away, leaving the pool room altogether.

They all sighed in relief. Penny turned to Carly. “Are you okay? He didn’t touch you, did he?”

Carly shook her head, feeling a bit rattled by it all. “No, of course not. Thank you.”

Penny smiled at her, squeezing her shoulder but remembering that Sheldon had come down. “Hey, glad you could make it.”

Sheldon’s hands were fists at his sides and he was still angry at what had happened. Carly noticed and she approached him, her hand going to one of his fists to try to comfort him.

“Hey... I thought you weren’t coming down?” She asked him in a light voice, looking up at him with a small smile. She was glad he had, even if it was poor timing.

Sheldon stared down at her, visibly shaking in front of her. “If- If he had touched you or-“ he cut himself off, looking away from her to stare at the wall beside them.

Carly frowned, realizing he was beating himself up about not being able to defend her properly. “Hey, Sheldon. It’s fine. Nothing happened. Don’t worry about it.”

Sheldon snapped his head back to face her, his eyes were bright with fear. “I’m getting you pepper spray. You have to promise to carry it with you everywhere, do you understand?”

Carly blinked, mystified by the fierce demand that was so unlike him. “N-No it’s okay. I have some that I carry with me in my purse.”

Sheldon shook his head, his eyes growing wild with worry. “It’s not good enough! I’ll just have to be by your side no matter what. But wait, what about our jobs? What about a rape whistle?"

Carly suddenly realized he was having a panic attack of sorts and she jumped to action, needing to calm him down. She steered him over to the white plastic chaise’s and made him sit down.

She sat across from him on another one. “Sheldon, listen to me. Everything is fine. Nothing happened and nothing will happen. I promise.”

He looked at her with eyes that were sorrowful, scared, and almost like they were going to tear up. “But how do you know?”

Carly stifled her own emotions at how he was caring for her. Perhaps he liked her way more than he let on. He seemed attached to her, if not just as much as she was to him.

“You have to trust me. I won’t ever put myself in a dangerous situation okay? I’ll always be careful.”

Sheldon searched her eyes, looking for comfort and then after a moment, he nodded and let out a long breath of air that he seemed to have been holding. “I originally came down because I was missing you but then I saw that guy and how he was talking to you and I couldn’t -“

“I know, Sheldon,” she told him softly, running her fingers over his knuckles to try and reassure him. “I missed you too, by the way. I’m glad you came down.”

Sheldon shuddered under her touch and couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Then, he realized something. “You still have your shirt on. Are you not going to swim?”

Carly glanced over at the pool, seeing their friends playing again and trying to give them some time alone together. She smiled and shrugged before looking back at him. “Probably not. It’s nice to just hang out with everyone though.”

Sheldon frowned. “But I thought you wanted to swim.”

Carly grinned, wondering what he would do if she took her shirt off to reveal her bikini. He’d probably pass out. “Well it’s a possibility... but I was content with just sticking my feet in the water.” She gave him a suspicious look. “Why? Did you want me to swim?”

Sheldon looked away, licking his lips absently with his ears turning red. She didn’t notice the latter. “Isn’t that what wearing a bathing suit signifies? That you’re going to swim?”

Carly eyed him, unsure how to process what he was saying. “What if I just wanted to sit here with you the rest of the time?”

Sheldon looked back at her, looking uneasy. “But that’s not what you want. You wanted to hang out with them,” he told her and then added quickly, “plus you already contaminated your feet, you might as well jump the rest of the way in.”

Carly rolled her eyes with a sheepish smile, making him confused. She released his hand and stood. “You’re right. I did. Join us when you’re ready,” she told him, winking down at him before boldly taking the Batman shirt off and dropping it down onto the chair she had been sitting in.

The warm, humid air from the pool room grazed her bare skin and she tried hard not to let herself think too hard about being practically naked in front of him. A bikini left little to the imagination, even a simple one.

She heard a breath of “oh good Lord,” but ignored it as her heart pounded loud in her ears.

She avoided Sheldon’s eyes, scared of his face, and walked over to the pool and climbed in. She swam over to the others who were playing some sort of game with the beach ball and gave them a friendly grin. “Hey! Can I join?”

Meanwhile, Sheldon was staring with his mouth gaped open at where his girlfriend had descended into the pool, wearing a small and thin pink bikini. He hadn’t been able to see anything else but the way her derrière had taunted him as she walked, how her breasts had been near his face when she had pulled the shirt off, and how her legs and stomach were bare for everyone including him to see.

He gulped, his body warming at the sight and sending weird signals to his brain, then lower. He looked down at his lap in horror. Oh god, how mortifying.

But good lord how she had looked so extraordinary. He remembered those legs. How they had straddled him on his bed before she had forced her kiss on him. Oh, her kiss.

He couldn’t admit it to anyone, even to himself, but he wanted to feel it again. The way it made him feel. The way she made him feel as she pressed her body up along his and sensually kissed him like there was no tomorrow.

He cleared his throat, trying to stop his thoughts because they were wrong. So very wrong.

He was Sheldon Cooper. He didn’t have these sorts of urges. He never had and he shouldn’t have ever had them. What was the matter with him? How had he allowed a simple female to affect him so?

But she wasn’t simple, was she?

No, she wasn’t. She had become special to him. The way she looked at him, listened to him, liked him- it was everything to him. She always cared about him, no matter what he said or did. It amazed him.

Sheldon watched his friends play in the water and he couldn’t help but remember that he found it disgusting. The reminder made his body stop responding and he wondered if he should just go back up to the hotel room and wait for her there.

Then, the thought of that man confirming his fears of Carly being without him in such a revealing attire crossed his mind. The worst-case scenarios played in his head and he tried to keep himself from freaking out again.

Sheldon couldn’t bear it if something happened to her and he wasn’t there to stop it. If he could stop it. He had taken one look at the guy and knew he wouldn’t be able to take him. He was just like all those other bullies that had taken their frustration out on him in school and the like.

Sheldon felt useless. He was a coward. He was too afraid of swimming in the pool water and he was too afraid to defend his girlfriend.

She deserved better.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there and watched but soon, they were all climbing out of the water and grabbing towels from a cart to dry off.

Sheldon immediately focused on Carly as she toweled herself off, his eyes watching as it slid over her legs and arms, flirting with his mind. His mouth went dry.

Oh no, not again, he scowled at himself. To his dismay, she glanced over at him and then waved goodbye to the others before grabbing her flip flops in one hand and heading over to him.

Her hair was sopping wet and she had a joyful smile on her face when she got to him. “You’re still here.” She sounded pleased. Now near enough, he tried not to notice the way the droplets of water slid down from her hair, into her cleavage to disappear on her breasts.

“Of course I’m still here. I was waiting for you,” he told her as if she should have known. His voice was a tad too high, he noticed. He cleared his throat and looked away from her. “Can we go now?”

Carly laughed lightly at his side and wrapped the towel around her body, much to his relief. “Yeah we can go, I told them we would be heading up to our room,” she explained and grabbed her shirt off the chair. She slid her flip flops on and they headed out of the pool room, Sheldon a little too enthusiastic to exit.

Once inside their room, Carly headed for her suitcase to grab some dry clothing for bed. Sheldon attempted to not look at her again, the image of her wearing that bikini too much for him to handle, and he collected his belongings to stack neatly on the end table next to his bed.

She closed herself up in the bathroom and he heard the shower turn on, to which he smiled at. She had remembered.

He took the time to dress into his Saturday pajamas, suddenly feeling tired from the activities of the day. He sat down on his bed, turning the television on to see if anything good was playing.

As he found a physics documentary, he heard the bathroom door open. He glanced over and saw she was now wearing a small mint green tank top and gray sweatpants. Her long hair was wet, but brushed neatly and laying on one side of her head.

She looked more like her normal self, he thought in relief. Thank goodness.

“What’re you watching?” She asked curiously, putting her dirty clothes in a bag near her suitcase. She glanced at the tv as she slid onto her bed, pulling her legs up to her chest.

“Just a documentary where Scientists re-create conditions from the big-bang theory to investigate the origin of all matter and unravel the mysteries of the universe. Nothing I haven’t seen before-“ Sheldon cut off when he saw that she wasn’t wearing a brassiere. She wasn’t overly endowed and so at first glance, it wasn’t easy to realize, but from the side, he could clearly see one of her nipples, hard and protruding against the thin fabric of her shirt.

Spluttering, he tried to look away and focus on the tv.

Carly glanced over at him, hearing his moment of weakness. “Are you okay?” She was worried.

Sheldon stared hard at the tv, willing himself to not look at her. He couldn’t. It was too much. “Y-Yes.”

Carly frowned at his nervous stutter, not believing him. “It doesn’t sound like you are. What’s wrong?”

Sheldon sighed dramatically, groaning. “You’re not wearing a brassiere. Are you trying to kill me?” The words came out before he could think them through and he froze, realizing he had given himself away.

Carly blinked owlishly and then looked down at herself, realizing her nipples were hard from the cool air of the hotel room after her warm shower. Horrified that he had noticed, she pulled her knees up over them and tried to breathe through her dark blush. “S-Sorry... I don’t sleep in a bra,” she tried to explain.

Sheldon breathed hard through his nose, closing his eyes briefly as his body was once again choosing to react to her body. It seemed like it had a mind of its own around her. He had no control and he hated it.

Carly chanced another glance at him and he looked to be struggling with something. Had it been that bad that he saw her like that? She wondered if he had been the same when he had seen her in the bikini? She had been too scared to see his reaction so she had no clue.

Was it a good thing or a bad thing?

She supposed she would have to test the waters and find out.

“Sheldon?” She asked meekly, trying to get as bold as she had been at the pool in front of him. That girl seemed like a lifetime ago.

“Yes?” His answer was short as if he was holding his breath.

She bit her lip and slowly slid her legs down in front of her. Her heart began to race at what she was about to do. There was only one way to find out just what he was thinking. She knew that asking him would be useless, he would come up with a million excuses.

“Can I come over?”

She watched him tense up and his eyes that had been staring intently at the tv screen darted over to her in obvious panic. She held her breath.

“Why?” He asked, his voice high and anxious, but clearly curious.

She smiled then, suspecting he was affected in a good way. She stood then, feeling a little better about the situation. She didn’t want to push him again. She still felt guilty about the last time, but she wanted him. She needed to feel close to him again. She wanted to touch him and feel him touch her.

At her movement, he snapped his gaze to her and she paused, taking in his wild look. She didn’t recognize the emotion in his eyes and it took her off guard. “I want to be close to you,” she told him, trying to reassure him that she wanted it to. That it was okay to feel those things. “I won’t do anything you don’t want to do.”

Sheldon’s mouth opened, then closed- unable to form a sentence. She tried to convey her promise to him through her face, and after a long moment of searching for something, he reluctantly nodded.

“All right.”

Carly hadn’t thought she’d get that far, half of her expecting him to reject her on the spot, but she was relieved. This was another good sign.

Sheldon scooted over on his bed and she sat down next to him. There was about a foot between them now and she slid herself up and pulled her legs next to her, before looking up at him from under her lashes. “C-Can we hold hands?”

Sheldon looked relieved at the question and she wondered if he had been expecting her to do something else. She bit her lip and was surprised when he gently took her hand in his. He leaned back against the headboard of his bed and she did the same, relaxing next to him as best as she could.

There was an intense tension between them.

Sheldon’s fingers twitched around hers and she looked down at them. His hand was so much larger than hers, his fingers longer. It practically engulfed her smaller one. She glanced up at his face and saw him concentrating on the documentary, his jaw tight and his breathing causing heavy falls of his chest.

Carly stared down at their hands again, wondering how far she could get before he had her stop. Hesitantly, gently she began caressing his hand with her fingers. He tensed and she paused for a second, debating her next move that would be enough to not have him running out of the hotel room.

She moved her fingers again, sliding them over his palm as he relaxed his hold on her hand, welcoming the touch. She smiled and slid her fingers up to his wrist, cautiously, slowly, and was pleased by the sound of his heavy breath intake.

She moved her fingertips tightly across his wrist and down to his palm, then back up again - over and over. He fidgeted next to her and she tried to stifle her breathing as her heart raced from the feeling of doing this to him. Of getting this reaction out of him with just the touch of her fingers.

She marveled at how he had never been touched before. That she was the first to ever do such a thing. It made her body warm and tingle in places at the thought.

Gently, she wandered her ever-moving fingertips up his forearm and received another harsh breath. Her fingers slid down to his wrist and then back up, pausing to dip into the crease at the inside of his elbow.

That seemed to break him and he grabbed her hand, holding it tight in his grip, startling her. She snapped her eyes up to his and gasped at the sight. His eyes were dark, wild, and unfamiliar.

“Carly.” He said her name in a low, raspy voice. He was losing control, she realized. Her heart leaped to her throat, her breath quickening. What was he going to do?

Then he told her with the upmost serious look on his face, his eyes fierce. “I’m going to kiss you.”

She had a brief moment of surprise at his words before he released her hand and grabbed her up with both arms, crushing her to him. His mouth covered hers in reckless abandon and her eyes flew open in shock - was this real?- before fluttering closed, melting into it. One of his hands lifted to her damp hair, holding her head to him while the other wrapped around her waist, keeping her pressed there.

Once over her shock, she clutched his shoulders, letting herself be kissed and kissing back with just as much fervor. His mouth pulled and pressed against her mouth, covering it entirely and she felt her head spin from it.

She realized that it hadn’t been the liquor that had made her imagine what his kisses felt like, it had all been true.

She tilted her head, kissing him passionately and needing more of him from every angle possible. She opened her mouth, taking his mouth into hers and pulling, needing, and asking him to do the same.

His breath huffed out over her face from his nose and his grip on her hair tightened as he opened his mouth, letting her swipe her tongue inside and taste him. He let out a small groan into her mouth, sending little sparks of pleasure down her body at the sound. Oh, this was hot. She was actually French kissing Sheldon Cooper.

His hand on her waist slid over her back, up and down, unable to stop touching her. She pressed herself closer to him, her breast’s pressing against his chest. But she was in an awkward position, and her back was beginning to protest.

With some effort to keep herself kissing him excitedly and anxiously, she maneuvered her leg over the top of him and straddled him. He sucked in a breath when she did this, her innermost core covering his with such an intimate position. She slid her hands upwards around his neck, holding his face to hers as she swirled her tongue with his, needing more and more of him. Oh, Sheldon.

His hand held her neck now, her hair wild and tangled through his fingers, his other hand dropping to her hip bone, running his fingers over the strip of skin that was exposed between the shirt and the pants she wore that had gone upwards at their movements. Electrifying tingles were left in his fingers’ wake, warming her, making her crazy.

When they parted, it was only for a brief second before they were at each other’s mouths again, feeling one another and learning. Carly had never felt something so fiery in her life. Her whole body felt burnt- burned for him. Needing him.

Instinctively, she rocked her hips into his, feeling how his body was reacting between her legs, and earning a surprised gasp from him. It had been an absentminded mistake on her part.

That was when he broke the kiss for good.

Pulling apart, they looked at each other with heavy gazes, want, and desire to engulf them. Sheldon shuddered underneath her, his want for her pressing up into her thigh and sending mixed messages into her brain.

Carly trembled the emotions that had overtaken them suddenly coming to light between them. She had been right. He was affected by it all.

But was he going to run now? The passionate high lowered into nerves.

Sheldon stared at her silently in awe, his breaths mingling with hers in heavy pants, his hands still on her neck and hip. She slid her hands to his shoulders, gazing back at him, unable to believe what had just happened between them.

“W-We should stop,” he told her, his voice cracking. He licked his lips anxiously. “This is getting out of hand.”

Carly pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth, knowing he was right. If they continued, who knew what would happen next. She knew he wasn’t ready.

She nodded in agreement but neither moved. Carly didn’t want to move.

Sheldon’s eyes lowered to her mouth and a flash of what he had been feeling prior ran through them. His hand from her neck slid upwards to her jaw, his thumb gently swiping her lip from her teeth.

She stared back at him, her mouth parting from the action and she knew she didn’t want to stop. She wanted to kiss him again. Now that she knew just what she was missing, how could she want to end it?

This time, she leaned in and she was relieved when he allowed her to press her lips against his softly, tenderly this time and he returned the kiss, holding her to him and close as possible.

When she pulled back she saw his eyes shut, his breathing shallow. “This is too much,” he mumbled and when his eyes lifted to hers, she saw the struggle within them.

She felt her heart ache at the sight. She took his face into her hands and looked at him sincerely. “Sheldon, it’s okay. We can stop.”

Sheldon peered at her for a couple of beats and then leaned forwards, kissing her one last time before he dropped his hands. She felt her heart in her throat as she got off of him, sitting next to him again.

“Just give me a minute,” he said quickly, getting to his feet hastily and disappearing into the bathroom- the door slamming behind him.

Shocked, she watched the bathroom door. She still felt him: his hands, his mouth. She shivered but tried to calm herself.

With a shaky sigh, she looked away from the door. She wouldn’t be able to continue to sit this close to him without wanting him again. The kisses, the touch, the fact that he had been turned on by her- had awakened a fire in her that she hadn’t known was there.

She climbed off his bed and got into hers, pulling the blankets up to her waist. The door to the bathroom swung open then and she looked up, surprised to see him looking normal.

“We should get some sleep. It’s been a long day,” he told her curtly and walked over to the light switch and turned the lights off. His tone worried her. Was he upset?

She watched his shadowed form grab the remote and turn the tv off, the room turning dark.

She was too scared to know the answer. “Yes, that’s a good idea,” she said instead and laid down on her bed as she heard him rustle with his covers.

With her head reeling from what had happened, she lay on her side, watching Sheldon on his back under the covers while looking at the ceiling. She wondered what he was thinking. Was he regretting it?

“Goodnight Carly,” he said, voice strange.

She took a deep, careful breath. “Goodnight Sheldon.”


	10. Chapter 10: Relationships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So you're saying, if in the depths of despair she throws herself at you and demands you take her right there, right now, you'll just walk away?" - Howard

Chapter 10: Relationships

Penny sighed heavily in peaceful content, the masseuse rubbing at her tense bare back in the most wonderful way.

She had closed her eyes and laid her head on her arms that were folded in front of her. "This is the life," she muttered lazily.

Carly and Bernadette were in the same position on their separate beds, enjoying the feeling of their muscles being deeply massaged.

"I wholeheartedly agree," Bernadette breathed out happily, a dreamy smile on her face.

Carly smiled sleepily, feeling as if she could drift off at any moment. "Me too," she mumbled.

She’d never had a massage before and she was undeniably loving it. Despite being with her boyfriend and going to the convention center, she had to admit this was a better alternative. The never-ending lines they’d have to wait in for an autograph from someone she didn’t even know didn’t sound like the best time.

"Stupid Leonard," Penny groaned to herself, loud enough for the other two women to hear, but quickly changed into a moan of delight when the masseuse hit a tender spot she had been aching to have massaged.

Carly opened her eyes lazily, confused by the sudden declaration. When she had seen them last, Penny and Leonard had been laughing merrily together, his hands all over in the pool. “What happened?”

Penny opened her eyes to glance at Carly before closing them again, enjoying herself for a moment before answering her. "Well, you both know how mine and Leonard's past is. When we began dating again, we agreed to take it slow. That we didn't want to mess it up this time with sex, but he just keeps pushing for more. Last night, he was trying to get fresh with me and I was too tired. After the plane ride and then following him around all day, then swimming - I just wanted to go to sleep. He got all sensitive like he always does and I got frustrated. I ended up getting out of bed and locking myself in the bathroom to calm down but when I came back out, he was gone."

“Where did he go?” Carly asked in a worried tone.

Penny sighed into her massage. “He spent the night on Raj’s couch.”

"So you didn't want to have sex with him?" Bernadette questioned her, frowning.

Penny shrugged the best she could while being massaged. "I don't know. I keep trying to put sex off. It's just if we reach that level again, I feel like we'll be taking things too fast, just like last time and it will have the same result. You know what I mean?"

"That's understandable," Carly said. Penny was scared to lose Leonard again. She just wanted to be careful this time so they didn’t end up breaking up again.

Penny opened one eye suddenly and looked to Carly before smirking. "Speaking of taking things slow, how is sleeping with Sheldon?”

Her voice was teasing and Carly popped her eyes open at the question, a blush readily taking her cheeks. Her mind immediately went to what had transpired between them before going to sleep. She clenched her thighs together, trying not to look too sexually frustrated. “We aren’t sleeping together. We sleep in our own beds, but it’s... nice.”

Bernadette and Penny exchanged knowing smiles. "Is that it?" Bernadette asked, her voice hinting at disbelief.

Carly closed her eyes, trying to hide her reaction. "If you’re asking if we have done anything, all we’ve done is kiss.”

And boy what a kiss it had been, she thought dreamily.

Bernadette and Penny giggled, obviously finding Carly’s embarrassment amusing.

“He finally decided to kiss you again, hunh?” Penny asking in interest, knowing that they hadn’t since she had been drunk that one night.

Carly took a deep breath and looked back at Penny with a bashful smile, thinking of the kisses they had shared the night before. “Definitely.”

The girls laughed at that. Bernadette grinned. “I saw the way he looked at you at the pool. He looked like he was going to fall over.”

Carly’s heart jumped in her chest at the thought. He had? “Really?”

Bernadette nodded, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Oh yeah. I was surprised that he either didn’t grab you out of the pool and have his way with you right there or run away screaming in terror.”

Yeah, that sounded about right, Carly thought in amusement. That must have been why his reaction had been the way it had.

Penny chuckled. “I can’t believe that it’s Sheldon we’re talking about. A few months ago, if someone had told me all of this, I’d think they were insane.”

Bernadette nodded with agreement. “For sure. Carly, you’ve affected him.”

Carly hid her face in her arm, embarrassed. She knew it was true but when they brought attention to it like that, it made her feel rather shy.

However, despite the passionate, exciting kisses they had shared, she couldn’t forget the sudden cold demeanor after Sheldon had ran to the bathroom.

That morning, he had gotten showered and dressed before she had woken up and had dodged every look she had thrown his way before he had left to go get breakfast.

Even when she had caught up to him later, he hadn’t even complained when she told him she was going to be spending the day with the girls instead of with him.

It worried her.

After their massage, the girls went to the nearest mall to grab lunch and shop. Carly tried not to think about the way her boyfriend was acting and enjoyed herself with her friends.

Yet, it was bothering her and she knew she needed advice. When they paused in Victoria’s Secret to browse for a lingerie set for Bernadette- she mentioned needing a new set for her wedding night- Carly drew Penny’s attention.

The blond looked down at her from checking out a short and red, satin nightgown. “What’s wrong?”

Carly bit her lip and glanced at the little box of miscellaneous underwear next to her in concern. “Last night, after Sheldon and I... when we kissed and all that. He panicked and ran to the bathroom. When he came out, he was like a different person. Kind of... angry almost?”

Penny furrowed her eyebrows. “Angry? Do you think he was just freaking out with how far it got?”

Carly dropped her shoulders. “Probably. It’s just that... I don’t know what to do now. Should I apologize? Or... I don’t know.”

Penny tilted her head, a little smile gracing her lips. “I wouldn’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong. This is all new for him. He probably is panicking a little. After he calms down, he’ll be fine.”

Penny made it sound so easy, but Carly was worried about him. “What if he doesn’t calm down? What if he realizes this is all too much and breaks up with me?”

Penny squeezed her shoulder with a sympathetic smile. “Sheldon won’t break up with you, honey. No one in this whole world has been able to do what you’ve done for him, he’d be an idiot to let something like that go.”

Carly took a deep breath and nodded. “So you think I should just let him be?”

Penny nodded and released her shoulder. “Definitely. He’ll come to you when he’s ready. Just be there for him like you always are. It’ll work itself out- now hey, do you think Sheldon would like you in this?”

She grabbed a strappy red bra with a matching thong and held it out to Carly, a wicked look on her face and grinning madly.

Carly blushed and rolled her eyes. “He’d die of a heart attack. I think I should just stick to baggy t-shirts and jeans until he calms down.”

Penny shrugged with a shoulder and put the lingerie set back on the rack. “Suit yourself.”

Bernadette found a cute, white set, and then they were off back to the hotel to catch up with the guys for dinner. Leonard had texted Penny, telling her they were on their way.

When they got to the hotel, the girls dropped off some of the things they’d bought at the mall in their rooms and got ready for dinner. Carly thought about what Penny had said and wondered if she should try to tone it down for him.

She didn’t want him to be angry or weird around her. She pulled off her thin t-shirt and grabbed a thicker, looser shirt that she had brought to sleep in. Then, she put jeans on instead of her shorts.

Maybe that would help him. She brushed out her hair and stuck half of her hair up, twisting it at her scalp. She checked herself over in the mirror and then headed down to the hotel restaurant.

She saw them collecting at the entrance and immediately saw Sheldon, looking just as handsome as always. He was wearing a blue Superman t-shirt, a green long sleeve pushed up to his elbows, and khaki pants. He was talking animatedly with Leonard as they waited.

Bernadette met Carly at the side and they both walked over to the guys. Penny followed after, and stood by the girls, avoiding Leonard’s gaze. He looked down with a deep frown when she ignored him.

Howard grinned at the girls. “Hey! You girls have a nice time?”

That was when Sheldon turned to see Carly, and she felt her breath catch when their eyes met. He glanced at her appearance and she saw a little look of confusion on his face before looking back at her with an unreadable expression.

Penny nudged her and Carly reluctantly tore her gaze off of Sheldon to look at her. “What’s with the change of clothes?” She murmured down to her, glancing at Carly’s outfit.

She shrugged and answered, in just as low of a voice. “I thought it might help Sheldon.”

Penny rose her eyebrows, a glance in his direction before nodding. “Yeah, maybe it’ll work. I dunno though, those are some pretty intense looks he’s giving you.”

Carly frowned and looked back over at Sheldon who was staring at her intently. Leonard grabbed Sheldon’s arm then, getting his attention and he finally looked away.

They were being led by the host to their table. Penny took a deep breath. “Well, let’s get this show on the road,” she muttered and linked her arm through Carly’s- both girls suspecting they may be on their own that night.

They gathered at a large, round table in a corner. Sheldon made a show of wanting Carly to sit next to him, which she was surprised by- as he had been acting weird the whole day. She did do it though, as of course, she wanted to sit by her boyfriend.

Penny on the other hand didn’t, and sat herself down next to Carly pointedly as Leonard hesitated by his chair across the table and then sat down, looking miserable.

Howard, Bernadette, and Raj felt out of place by the weird going’s on of their friends but didn’t mention it, just gave each other a few awkward glances.

They ordered their food, chatted lightly, everything fine- that is until Leonard opened his mouth, pleading with Penny to stop being cold to him, sending Penny into a tense frenzy.

“Leonard, I’m not talking to you about this right now so just drop it,” she warned him, tight-lipped. Carly bit her lip and looked down at her glass of cold water, watching with interest as the condensation dripped to the table.

Leonard huffed and leaned back in his chair. “You never want to talk about it, you just want to yell at me,” he complained. Carly too wondered why he had chosen their dinner to argue with her.

Penny glared at him and thankfully Sheldon interjected quickly before the situation could escalate. “Did you know, that there’s a psychological disorder called Boanthropy that makes a person believe they’re a cow?”

The table went silent and Carly tried not to smile, despite the odd fact he had come up with and the horrible tension at the table. He was the best.

Howard quirked an eyebrow, normally not one to encourage Sheldon’s behavior but glad to have the subject off of Penny and Leonard’s relationship problems. “What if that person were from India- could you imagine the god complex?” He wisecracked with a smirk and Raj huffed, scowling at his friend.

Their waiter finally returned and gave them their meals, silencing them as they ate. Carly was halfway through her fries when Sheldon finally spoke to her.

“How is your burger?”

Carly looked up at him curiously, seeing his waiting face, and then glanced down at her plate. “It’s good,” she told him, trying to keep her voice light.

He nodded distractedly but then thought of something. “Mine too, but not as good as the Cheesecake Factory. I’ll be glad to be back where everything makes sense.”

Carly smiled at him and nodded, understanding. “I’m sure Penny isn’t looking forward to the Cheesecake Factory,” she laughed and eyed the blonde next to her.

Penny wrinkled her nose. “Not in the slightest. Say, Carly- wanna move here and be roommates?”

She said it as a joke but it took Carly, Sheldon, and Leonard by surprise. She avoided the men’s eyes and gave Carly a grin. “Beats Pasadena these days. Got a shit job, barely can afford rent, and my acting career isn’t even close to becoming legit. I should just give up while I have the chance.”

She sounded miserable and Carly frowned, hating that her normally optimistic friend was looking down at herself. She placed a hand on Penny’s shoulder.

“You don’t have to work at the Cheesecake Factory, you can get a different job that you’d like more to get you by. Maybe at the mall somewhere?”

Penny shook her head, staring down at her barely touched the plate. “It’s whatever. I... I think I’m gonna go lay down. I’m exhausted.” She stood up, everyone’s eyes on her, and then left without saying another word.

Leonard stood, looking conflicted on if he should follow her or not. Bernadette seemed to take pity on him and rolled her eyes. “Just go!”

Leonard jumped, not expecting the outburst from the small woman, and glanced at them all- before nodding to himself. “You’re right. See you tomorrow,” he said before taking off after his distraught girlfriend.

Carly frowned, wishing she could have made Penny feel better. Sheldon shifted uncomfortably in his chair, his burger half gone. “She better not quit the Cheesecake Factory- how would we order without her as our waitress?” He was deeply troubled by the thought.

Carly tilted her head. “Wouldn’t we just have another waitress?”

He stared back at her, unable to fathom what she had said. “But no one else knows exactly how I have my burger.”

Carly sighed and placed a hand on his arm, surprised when he didn’t jolt or pull away at the touch. She hesitated at the realization, but then looked up at him with a small smile. “I don’t think she will quit for a while so you don’t have anything to worry about for now.”

Sheldon still looked upset but seemed to let it go for now. She removed her hand and looked over at their other friends who were finishing their meal.

“How are the wedding plans?” She tried to make conversation, trying to steer the night in a different direction.

Bernadette smiled at Howard and then looked to Carly. “It’s going great- well, Howie isn’t helping really.”

He threw his hands up in defense. “Hey, I told you. As long as I am still the groom, I don’t care what the wedding is like.”

Carly grinned, thinking they were cute together, even if they bickered a lot. Bernadette rolled her eyes at him and turned back to Carly.

“Anyway, I was thinking maybe you and Penny could help me. Penny said she’s helped her friends in the past with their weddings so I’m sure she has good ideas.”

Carly felt flattered that she was being included in the wedding plans for her friends. “Of course! I’d love to help.”

Bernadette grinned, “Great!”

They finished their meals and bid each other goodnight, then headed for their hotel rooms. As she followed Sheldon, Carly hoped that Penny and Leonard were doing all right. She hated seeing them fight. She knew how much they loved each other, it was written on their faces, in every word they spoke- she just wished they could see it.

“Boy was today long,” Sheldon noted as he opened their door and walked in. Carly followed suit, thinking the same. She was sort of relieved that the weekend was coming to a close and she could go back to her nice, comfortable bed.

“Speaking of which, how were the panels and signings?” She asked him, walking over to her bed to take off her shoes.

Sheldon grinned at the memory. “Superb! I honestly wish you could have come with us. I still can’t believe you chose to get a massage over meeting Stan Lee. That’s just-“ he shuddered. “Unimaginable.”

Carly rolled her eyes and slid her shoes to the side before sitting up, looking at him as he grabbed his pajamas from his suitcase.

“It was nice actually. I mean, super awkward at first, but it... it was relaxing. Oh, we went to the mall afterward and-“ she stopped and reached for the small bag that she had laid on her bed before going to dinner. She stood and held it out for him. “I got you something.”

Sheldon tensed, glancing down at the bag in distaste. “But I didn’t get you anything.”

Carly shook her head and shook the bag a little. “It’s nothing fancy or anything, I just thought of you when I saw it.”

He frowned and reluctantly took the bag from her. He opened it and peered down, his eyes squinting. “Is this...” he paused, pulling the small keychain out of the bag. “A Batman keychain?”

Carly colored, wondering if he already had one. She bit her lip and then released it, awkwardly shifting on her feet. “I know it’s not like, limited edition or anything, but I know that we watched Batman the first time we hung out together and I just thought... it’s stupid isn’t it?”

Sheldon stared down at the little keychain, his mouth parting as he thought over her words and the meaning behind it. “No, it’s... I love it. It’s a good memory. You turned down Stuart that day.” He looked up at her then, a smile curving his lips. “Thank you.”

The emotion behind his words made her stomach flop and she smiled meekly. “Of course,” she shrugged, relieved that he accepted it.

“However I do need to give you something-“ he broke off and turned to his bag, holding the keychain in one hand in a tight grip. Digging through his belongings, Carly frowned in confusion. Had he bought her something?

He suddenly stood and crossed the room back to her, before holding out a small Batman plushie. “I bought it for myself but- I want you to have it.”

Carly swallowed and looked down at the soft Batman staring up at her. She gingerly took it, a grin gracing her features. “Thank you, Sheldon, you didn’t have to.” She cuddled the plushie to her chest fondly.

He shook his head. “I wanted to,” he told her earnestly.

She wanted to kiss him, but she held herself back. He was finally himself again and she wanted to hold onto the moment as long as she could.

He didn’t remove his gaze from her and she wondered what he was thinking. She tilted her head, matching his stare evenly, curiously.

Slowly, hesitantly, he approached her and she kept herself still, unsure of what he was planning. He didn’t even look certain about it, but he closed the gap between them, the plushie in her arm squishing between their bodies.

She craned her head up to him in question, her heart racing in her chest at the sudden proximity. Was he going to kiss her again? God, she hoped so. With him this close, she could barely stand to hold herself back.

He put his hands on her waist, holding her to him, and then slowly, gently, he leaned down and took her mouth with his, never breaking eye contact until their lips met.

She sighed into the kiss, missing it and craving it immensely. She used her free arm to slide up between them and wrap around his neck as best as she could with his height, and held him close to her, not wanting to ever let go.

His lips moved, caressed, prodded at hers and they opened their mouths simultaneously to allow each other the access they desperately needed.

Sheldon made a slight “mmm” sound as her tongue slid along his and he held her tighter, wrapping his arms around her now and practically picking her up to keep her there. It was so hot.

She kissed back with just as much fire as her body felt, wanting to taste every inch of him and needing every part of him.

But then it ended and he abruptly broke apart, much to her dismay. Their breathing was heavy between them and she slowly opened her glazed over eyes to look up into his, mystified by him. His were dark, with emotion and desire and it sent a bolt of electricity from her heart down her body.

She licked her lips, unsure what he was going to do next, half expecting him to pull away from her again. But he didn’t.

“I’m sorry.”

She frowned, not understanding why he would apologize. “For what?” She asked, her voice raspy and breathless.

Instead of answering, he grabbed her by the back of her head, pulling her in for another kiss, and this time- it was like the sun itself. The Batman plushie fell to the ground and he crushed her body back to him, his arm around her. She clutched onto his shoulders, willing herself to match his advances, needing him just as much as he wanted her.

At some point, they had spun around and begun backtracking, before falling onto one of the beds, she wasn’t sure who’s, and found herself underneath him as he ravished her mouth.

Addicted to the effect he had on her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him to her, needing him and everything he was willing to give her.

He held himself up with one elbow while the other hand her her hair, tangling his fingers in it. His mouth moved over her mouth, to the side of it, and then down her jaw, surprising her further when his mouth became hot on her neck. She gasped as the assault on her skin warmed every part of her body in white-hot passion.

He seemed to have forgotten everything he had worked so hard to keep and had lost control, giving up to just pure sexual instinct. A man wanting a woman.

He moved her hair away from her neck, needing better access then worked his way back up, kissing her long and hard at a bruisingly fast rate.

She could barely keep up.

To her shock, his hips rocked into her and she gasped again at the evidence of his arousal prodding at her. He panted against her mouth, his hand beginning to shake near her head on the bed.

Feeling a tremor run through him, she realized he was struggling with himself. She was mad with want for him but she didn’t want him to doing anything that he wasn’t ready for.

With great difficulty, she slid her hands down to his chest and gently pushed, to which he pulled away from her mouth to look down at her with hooded, drunk eyes.

“Sheldon,” she said, their breaths mingling together as she tried to reason with herself that this was the best thing to do. “Y-You don’t have to do this.”

Sheldon shuddered and he dropped his head to her shoulder, making her worry about him. After a moment’s pause, he finally spoke to her in a choked voice. “I don’t know what I’m doing, Carly,” he confessed, sounding wounded. “Everything I’ve ever fought against is being tested.”

Carly bit her lip, sad that he was going through so much and it was because of her. She moved a hand to reach his hair, holding his face to her to try to comfort him. “I know, I know... I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”

Sheldon shook his head slightly in her grasp, against her shoulder. “Not completely. I should have better control over my... urges. I shouldn’t want to-it's wrong, Carly. Isn’t it wrong?”

Carly frowned, not understanding why he thought it all was wrong. “Of course it’s not wrong. We like each other a whole lot and are attracted to each other. Doing this kind of stuff... it’s natural.”

Sheldon’s breathing slowed at their conversation and he took a deep breath. “Then why does it feel wrong?”

Carly didn’t know why it felt wrong to him. It felt so right to her. “I’m not sure. Is it because we are moving too fast?”

Sheldon was silent for a moment so she assumed he was thinking it over. “Maybe... but when I see you, I can’t think properly. When I see you- you take over my mind and no matter how hard I try to fight it, I can’t. Not with you.”

Even though all of it was bothering him, she felt elated that he felt that way towards her. Simply because that was how she felt about him. “Sheldon? Hey, look at me.”

He hesitantly lifted his head and she dropped her hand from his hair to his shoulder, giving him a sincere, vulnerable side of her. He looked scared. “I know it’s not wrong Sheldon because... when I look at you, I lose control too. I’ve never felt this way about someone before, not until you. You’re all I think about, all I care about, and the only one I would ever want to do this with.”

Her words visibly moved him and his eyes that held so much anxiety changed to his obvious adoration of her. She was relieved that her words had been able to comfort him. She smiled softly up at him.

“Let’s stop for now and just get some sleep. We have a long plane ride,” she murmured, running her hands over his shoulders.

Sheldon drew a ragged breath in and then let it out, a sudden struggle overwhelming his features. “I’m sorry Carly, I know how difficult I am.”

Carly’s heart broke at the sound of his voice. He had been told that his whole life and she could see how it had made him self-conscious. He didn’t normally show it but she could tell, clear as day as she gazed up at him.

“Don’t ever apologize for being yourself,” she told him, emphasizing how strong she felt about it. “You’re perfect. Don’t forget... everything we are doing- it’s my first time too and it terrifies me.”

Sheldon glanced down at her neck, then back up to her eyes. “Really? You seem so sure of yourself.”

She shook her head, swallowing down her insecurities over the situation. “I’ve only had one boyfriend before, in college, but we didn’t do any of this. I- I didn’t want to. Not with him.”

Sheldon frowned in confusion, even though it was obvious that he didn’t like thinking about her with anyone else. “Why not?”

She shrugged a shoulder, over it now. “It didn’t feel right, plus I found out later that he was seeing my supposed friend behind my back. So it’s a good thing I didn’t.”

Sheldon grimaced. “That is abhorrent.”

Carly bit her lip, appreciating his sympathy. “Yeah it was and it stuck with me for a long time, but it doesn’t matter now. I have great friends and an amazing boyfriend.” When she referred to him, she gave him a sheepish smile.

He smirked a little. “I’m glad you think so.”

Carly couldn’t imagine thinking anything different. “I always will.”

Sheldon’s eyes held warmth as he smiled and before she knew it, he was leaning back down to her and pressed his lips to hers in a slow, passionate kiss that told her exactly how he felt about her.

She shuddered against him and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back with everything she had and holding him to her.

She knew that as long as she had him, she could wait any amount of time to further their intimacy. He'd be worth the wait.


	11. Chapter 11: It’s A Mad World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "To paraphrase T.S. Eliot, this is the way the world ends, not with a bang but with a nephew." - Sheldon

Chapter 11: It's a Mad World

After Comic-Con, Carly was surprised to find herself feeling like a different person. It hadn’t been the costumes, the massage, or the swimming that had made her this way- it had been sharing a room with her boyfriend, touching him, and kissing him... talking to him in a way that she hadn’t before.

She felt so much closer to him. It was nice.

A few weeks later, Carly got a call while doing her dishes. Her hair was thrown up haphazardly into a messy bun and she had thick, yellow gloves on.

When she heard her phone, she thumbed one of the gloves off and picked it up, putting it to her ear without looking at the caller ID.

“I thought I raised you better than this! I’ve started to believe you lied to me all those times you said you were worried about me or that you’d miss me!”

Carly sighed with an amused smile. “Hey, Grandma- nice to hear from you.”

“Don’t give me that sass, young lady. Explain yourself!” Her normally sweet as sugar voice was stern, reminding her of one too many times as a child when she had been on the other side of it.

“I’ve been busy. This new job is exhausting, but I love it. I also have friends now, can you believe it? Like real friends. I see them almost every night- it’s like a family.”

Her grandmother’s voice dropped back into a comforting manner, pleased with the news. “Oh, I’m so happy to hear that sweetheart. After what happened to you in college, I was worried about you trusting anyone again.”

Carly felt a weird emotion bubble up inside of her and suppressed it. “Well, worry not! I’m fine.”

“Not just fine, from what I hear. I talked to Bea the other day. Saw her at the supermarket. She told me she saw you a few weeks ago with a tall, rude fellow. Said he liked you a whole lot.”

Carly froze. Of course, she had found out about that. “Uh, yeah. I took him to the animal shelter because he was interested in my hobbies. He showed me one of his, so I reciprocated.”

Her grandmother sounded worried. “What’s this about being rude? Don’t tell me you’re dating some rebel again, Carly .”

She grimaced at the thought of Sheldon being described as a rebel. “No, of course not. He is a theoretical physicist at Caltech University. He’s a genius.”

“A physicist? That’s impressive, but I don’t like the way Bea talked about him. Something about how he hurt your feelings.”

Carly huffed, not liking how they made Sheldon seem. “No, he’s not rude or anything. I don’t know what Bea told you but he just isn’t good with social conventions. His mind works differently than a normal person’s. He didn’t mean to be rude that day and he has made up for it a hundred times by now.”

She heard her grandmother take a deep breath. “I’m just worried, Carly. You move out to the city, never call, never come see me- and then I hear you have a new boyfriend?”

Carly felt extremely guilty all of a sudden. “Would you believe me if I told you I had meant to call you?”

Her grandmother chuckled. “Yes, I’d believe you- but only because I know how you are.”

“Thank you, Grandma,” she smiled. “It’s good to hear from you. How are you, by the way? Doing okay?”

That sparked her a thirty-minute conversation with the woman who had raised her. She felt nostalgic and a little homesick by the end of it.

“Well, I should let you go- I gotta get to Marge’s house for bridge,” her grandmother told her suddenly and Carly sighed, having taken off the other glove and had sat down comfortably with her feet up on the couch.

“Oh, all right. I suppose I’ll go finish my dishes,” she laughed as she sat up and put her feet down on the floor, preparing to stand.

“Take care of yourself, honey,” she told Carly, loving concern in her voice that deeply touched her. “Oh and I better get to meet this Sheldon fellow soon.”

Carly laughed, “Of course. Maybe I can convince him to come for Thanksgiving.”

“Sounds delightful, dear. Oh! And don’t worry your grandmother and keep in touch.”

Carly giggled. “I promise!”

They said their goodbyes and Carly hung up her phone, her smile fading as she realized just how much she missed her grandmother. Perhaps she should go visit.

Wondering if she could swing it that upcoming weekend, she paused, staring down at her phone’s wallpaper. It was the picture she and Sheldon had taken at Comic-Con. She had cropped it, making the picture of just her and him, cutting the others out. She smiled thoughtfully, seeing her hold the wrong hand gesture and his nervous smile.

Her heart fluttered at the sight. Her grandmother had nothing to worry about. Sheldon wouldn’t intentionally hurt her.

She put her phone down on her coffee table and went to finish her dishes, thinking of fond memories with both her grandmother and her boyfriend.

oO0Oo

It was later that night that Carly had gone up to 4A to have dinner with everyone. It was a Monday so she assumed they’d be having Thai food. Excited she’d be seeing her boyfriend, she took some of the steps two at a time.

Carly opened the door, expecting to see Sheldon immediately greet her, but was put off when she didn’t see him. Leonard was at the kitchenette with Penny, pulling out the food from the takeout bags. She frowned.

“Where’s Sheldon?”

Leonard and Penny look up, half annoyed by the question.

Leonard answered. “Pouting in his room. His barber is in the hospital.” He said it like it explained everything and then went back to what he was doing.

Carly was confused by the explanation. "He is pouting because his barber's in the hospital?”

Penny rose an eyebrow, a sheepish smile on her face. “Is it surprising? It’s Sheldon.”

Carly walked over to them and crossed her arms, wondering something. “Should I go talk to him?”

Leonard sighed. “I doubt it would help but if anyone in the state of California could talk sense into him- it’d be you.”

Carly furrowed her eyebrows. “It’s worth a shot I guess.”

Penny grinned. “Good luck!”

“May the odds be ever in your favor,” Leonard added ominously.

Carly rolled her eyes, amused at their words, and headed for Sheldon’s bedroom. When she stopped at his door, she suddenly felt nervous. Would he yell at her?

Biting her lip, she knocked on his door. She heard a muffled “go away!” which didn’t give her much hope of it going smoothly.

Knowing her boyfriend’s comfort on strict routines, she knew she’d have to be empathic to him in the situation. She had no clue how Leonard and Penny had handled it but, she assumed it hadn’t been good.

“It’s Carly!” She told him through the door. She could just walk in but she wanted to be respectful. She knew how he was about his personal space.

“Oh! Uh-“ She heard him fumble with something, then with heavy footsteps, the door swung open. He stared down at her, looking handsome as ever. It took her breath away momentarily.

Would she ever get used to how attractive he was? She didn’t think so.

“Yes?” His tone was distracted and she frowned, giving him another once over. He seemed stressed.

“Are you okay?” She asked him, even though she knew he wasn’t.

“Yes- I mean, no. I’m one day late for my haircut and I feel like the whole world is descending into chaos,” he told her, dead serious and making her blink at him.

That's a bit dramatic, she thought, but this sort of thing was hard for him. She took a deep breath.

“I heard, Leonard told me. What can I do to help?”

His eyes softened slightly at her question but then he looked around wildly as if he was trying to think of something- then came up with nothing. “There isn’t anything you can do- unless you can get Mr. D'Onofrio out of the hospital for me. I can come up with a plan to smuggle him out-“

“Whoa, hang on! If he is in the hospital he probably isn’t up for an escape or an impromptu haircut, Sheldon.”

Sheldon’s gaze hardened, his mouth going slack. “But then what do I do?”

Carly bit her lip again. She had no idea what to do. This wasn’t what she had expected when coming up for dinner. Oh, that was it.

“Even though you can’t get your haircut, we can still go by your normal routine right? Let’s just go eat some Thai food and I’m sure you’ll feel a little better. "

Sheldon looked like he might protest again but thankfully, he dropped his shoulders and gave a slow nod. “Yes, maybe that will help.”

She gave him an encouraging smile, relieved that she had gotten him out of his bedroom and back to normalcy. Or so she thought. “Great! Let’s go!”

He followed her out to the living room, just as Howard, Bernadette, and Raj walked in. “Hey, guys!” Howard greeted happily, unaware of Sheldon’s predicament.

“Hey!” Penny said, waving her hand at them as they all joined together around the coffee table, but then caught sight of Sheldon. “Oh, Sheldon! Glad you could join us.”

He looked a little offended as if what she had said had been a jab at him, but Carly had walked over to the couch and sat down in the middle. He followed over to his spot silently.

“So! Guess what? I got my letter about the upcoming astronaut training!” Howard told them as soon as everyone had their food and began eating.

“What? That’s so cool!” Leonard gushed, along with the rest of them.

“I know, I can’t wait!”

Sheldon suddenly began blowing up into his face repeatedly as he moved his fork around in his carton of food.

Carly frowned, while the others gave him baffled and weirded out looks. “Sheldon? What’re you doing?”

He glanced over at her as if it were obvious. “I’m trying to get the hair out of my eyes.”

Carly was dumbstruck, unable to respond because there was no way his hair was long enough to be in his eyes. She wondered if he was just being paranoid.

Leonard scowled from the armchair. “Sheldon, you’re one day late for your haircut.”

Sheldon slumped, annoyed but saddened with what Leonard had said. “Thank you for captioning my nightmare.”

Exasperated, Leonard rolled his eyes and went back to his food, very over the conversation.

Penny leaned in from her chair next to him. “You know I used to cut my brother's hair all the time. I could give you a haircut if you want.”

The suggestion was innocent enough, helpful even, but Carly knew exactly how that was going to go down with her boyfriend.

“Penny,” Sheldon said, sounding condescendingly amused by her offer. “I know you mean well with offering the skills from the hill folk but-“

Penny stifled a laugh at his choice of words as Carly, who knew where it was going lay a hand on his arm, abruptly stopping him from continuing. He glanced down at it and then up to her.

“Sheldon, just say no thank you,” she told him, an amused smile on her face. God, he was cute, but she didn’t need them arguing.

Sheldon sighed, realizing she was right. He looked at Penny apologetically. “Sorry Penny, it’s the bad boy attitude that comes with this hair.” He flipped the nonexistent hair out of his eyes and they all looked down awkwardly as he did so.

Carly had a hard time leaving him after dinner. She was really worried about where his mind was. She’d never seen him like this and she wondered if he would be okay.

Before leaving for her apartment, as she had work the next day, she told Leonard and Penny to watch out for him and make sure he didn’t do anything bad.

They promised her and she felt a little better, knowing they’d take care of her boyfriend to the best of their ability.

With that in mind, she got ready for bed and fell asleep rather quickly. At some part of the night, she was woken by what she thought was the sound of drums.

Dazed, she sat up in her bed and listened, making sure she wasn’t just imagining it.

No, it was drums.

They were getting closer too. What was happening? She got out of bed and went out to the living room, hearing the drums even louder.

She glanced at her clock. It was four in the morning. Who on earth was playing drums in the hallway that early? Glowering at the door, because she needed sleep, she thought that perhaps someone would contact the landlord and complain- but then she heard a familiar set of knocks.

Becoming still, her eyes glued to the door. No... it couldn’t be. Could it?

She ran for the door, no longer feeling tired. She swung it open to see Sheldon in his pajamas with his robe tied over them holding a drum in his hands.

“Hello Carly, do you like my bongos?” He asked in a sequence of tapping the drum, probably waking up her neighbor who lived across from her.

She hissed and grabbed his arm, pulling him into the apartment as quickly as she could. He let her and she closed the door behind her, looking up at him with her back up against the door. A million questions filled her mind, yet she went with:

“Sheldon, where did you get bongos?”

He smirked, looking too cute for his good. “Amazon, about a year ago.”

“You’ve probably woke up the whole building by now- did you even think about that?” She couldn’t help but scold him, it was four in the morning.

Sheldon didn’t seem to care and he shrugged. She watched him place the bongos down on her coffee table and then turned to look at her, his face going odd. “Want to make out?”

That threw her off more than the bongos. Sheldon never just said any of that. “What?” She asked through her gape at him.

His lips curved up mischievously, as he began stepping towards her. “You know, some hot mouth on mouth action.”

Heart jumping to her throat, she felt excited and afraid all at the same time. “N-No I got that, I just, why all of a sudden? It’s four in the morning.”

Sheldon frowned then, pausing on his way over to her. “The world's in chaos, Carly. Anything goes.”

She bit her lip and steadily realized what was happening. “This is about the haircut, isn’t it?”

Sheldon continued his advance on her, making her heart race wildly in her chest. He was never like this, it was worrying her but at the same time, it was so enthralling.

“No, at the moment it’s about how much I want to throw you up against that door and kiss you,” he told her boldly, his eyes narrowing into such an intense look of want that she gasped, stunned by him.

So taken off guard, she barely registered him closing the last few steps to her to grab her by the waist, crushing her to him.

She squeaked at the unexpected action and took him by the arms so she wouldn’t fall over, the force surprising her. She looked up and as soon as she did, his mouth was on hers- hot, open, and demanding.

He tasted of toothpaste and she tried to compose herself but she was failing. He was too good. His hands slid upwards over her back, holding her to him with brute force. Her fingers tightened on his biceps, everything about him making her mind spin. She felt dizzy and the only thing keeping her from falling was him.

He kissed her so passionately like he knew exactly what he was doing. No longer were there inexperienced and shy kisses, he was forcefully demanding the invasion of her mouth.

Enraptured, she slid her hands upwards over his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck. She needed to feel closer to him and she didn’t want him to stop.

Surprising her again, he did exactly as he had told her prior and slammed her up against the closed apartment door. She gasped into his mouth but it seemed to just egg him on.

Who was this man? There was no way it was Sheldon Cooper. Her mind couldn’t wrap itself around the situation.

Instead of trying to figure it out, she just gave up. She just felt. His sexy mouth, his hands that were sliding up her sides and clutching her to him as if she would disappear if he let go. Her arms let his neck go and slid down to his chest, wishing the bathrobe wasn’t so thick because she wanted to feel his warm body and his pounding heartbeat.

Kissing him back with neediness, she slid her hands underneath the sides of the bathrobe and pushed it open, revealing his plaid button-up pajama shirt. Feeling his warmth and his heart, she felt elated. He groaned lightly into the kiss, his nose pressing against hers in abandon.

His hands slid downwards, to her hips and pulled her in. She felt exactly how he was feeling and she had to admit she felt the same way. She experimentally pressed herself against him, rocking her hips into his absentmindedly, needing to relieve her burning need for him.

He choked a little and a small whimper left his mouth before he finally broke the kiss. Disoriented from the heavy make-out session, she slowly opened her hazy eyes and looked up into his as they panted and gasped for air. His blue irises were dark, wild and for a moment she didn’t even recognize them as Sheldon’s. He was different.

But then she remembered what was happening and why.

“S-Sheldon,” she whispered, her hands still on his chest and feeling exactly how his heart raced in his chest. “What are you doing?”

He was going to regret this. He always did when they got carried away and he’d take a round of antibiotics just in case because he was deathly afraid of catching something she could accidentally give him from their long drawn out kisses.

But he didn’t look regretful this time. His gaze matched hers and he didn’t let her go. One of his hands slid up to her back and held her even closer to him.

Finally, he spoke in a raspy, choked voice. “Whatever the wind gives me.”

Carly wanted to frown, she wanted to push him away and tell him to think clearly, she wanted him to need her like this when he wasn’t going insane - but instead, she just stared at him wordlessly, caught in his eyes. She bit her lip, worrying about what would happen.

Then, one of his hands lifted from her waist, breaking her thoughts, and dropped to her cheek. She held her breath, searching his eyes but they weren’t looking at hers anymore. They had dropped to her mouth with concentration and then his thumb swept out and unhooked her bottom lip from her teeth.

“You do that when you’re nervous,” he told her lowly. “It drives me insane.”

She struggled to not bite her lip, feeling horribly self-conscious. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head slightly, his eyes flickering up to hers from her mouth. “Don’t be. It... it makes me want to kiss you.”

Again, she gulped. He was too much. This was too much. What did he expect her to do when he touched her like this and told her these things? How was she supposed to hold herself back?

“How often do you want to kiss me?” She asked him, very curious in his answer.

Sheldon licked his lips and looked up into her eyes. “All the time.”

That was enough to have her swooning on her feet. All the time? Good lord. Was he serious?

“B-But I thought you didn’t like kissing-“

He gave her a flat look then as if she were oblivious to something. “If I didn’t like kissing you then I wouldn’t.”

Carly snapped her mouth shut, eyes going wide. He was for real.

His expression changed and he leaned in a little as he shifted on his feet. “I’m not ready for anything else yet, though. I hope you understand... even with the world gone crazy.”

She nodded, completely understanding. “Of course... I don’t think I’m ready either but, I do enjoy your kisses.”

He smirked then as if he were superior. “Of course you do. You’re being kissed by Dr. Sheldon Cooper.”

Carly’s heart fluttered at that and she smiled, unable to stop herself. She spread her fingers wide on his chest. “You’re right. I’m so lucky.”

“Luck has nothing to do with it,” Sheldon corrected her but her smile just got wider. “Enough about all of this though- can I... can I sleep here tonight? Leonard got all grumpy with me and I don’t want to see him right now.”

Carly’s heart jumped to her throat as she looked at him in disbelief. “You want to sleep here?”

Sheldon took a couple of steps back from her, releasing her and leaving her there against the door, cold and empty all of a sudden. He turned slightly, looking at something. “I can sleep on the couch.”

Carly fidgeted her fingers, glancing to the couch and then to him. “Oh, sure. Of course. Right. Okay.”

She closed her mouth, feeling dumb. She had spent a whole weekend in the same room as him, it wasn’t a big deal.

“I’ll get you a pillow and a blanket.” She hurried to her linen closet and grabbed a gray blanket, then took a pillow from her bed to hand over to him on the couch.

He took them gratefully and put them down in front of him. Then he looked up at her, his eyebrows knitting together in obvious distress. “Do you think everything’s going to be okay? I don’t think I can live like this for another day.”

Carly’s heart ached for him and she folded her arms over her chest. “I do. Something good always comes from something bad. It just might not be in the way you think.”

Sheldon frowned then, looking away from her. He didn’t comment but sat down on the couch.

“Well, I should head back to bed. I have to work a long shift tomorrow,” she told him and hesitated to leave, not with the kiss up against her door still on her mind.

He looked over at her and smiled at her. “Of course. Goodnight, Carly.”

Carly smiled in return, wishing she could snuggle up to him again like she had that night she’d been drunk. She barely remembered it but it always came back to her in dreams. “Goodnight, Sheldon.”

The next morning as she was twisting her hair up into a bun, she heard knocks on her door. She frowned at her reflection. She was getting popular all of a sudden.

She figured it was either Leonard or Penny, worried about Sheldon and expecting him to be there with her. She left her bathroom and headed to the living room, surprised to see Sheldon still curled up on her couch fast asleep.

He must have been exhausted.

She quietly opened her door and was surprised to see both Penny and Leonard standing there, looking apologetic.

“Hey, is Sheldon here?” Leonard asked, his eyebrows hovered together. “He didn’t come home last night after waltzing down the stairs with bongos.”

Carly smiled tightly and slid the door open further so they could see Sheldon. They peered inside and visibly relaxed at the sight of him.

“We should wake him up. He’s got work this morning,” Leonard told her and Carly hesitated but let them in. They were right. If another thing messed up Sheldon’s schedule, who knew what would happen.

“Nice outfit,” Penny commented in approval, a grin appearing on her face. “Very librarian like. You only need the little glasses.”

Carly rolled her eyes, laughing lightly under her breath. “Haha.”

Leonard had approached Sheldon and to Carly’s horror, began banging on the bongos still on the coffee table. It made both Penny and her jump, startled, but not as shocked as Sheldon was as he immediately woke and sat up- looking at Leonard and then the girls in fright, before realizing what was happening and where he was.

“That wasn’t nice,” Carly couldn’t help but say to Leonard, her eyes narrowing as she thought that Sheldon deserved better with the tough time he was going through.

“It was necessary,” Leonard justified, seeming to know something Carly didn’t. She crossed her arms over her chest.

“What are you and Penny doing here?” Sheldon asked his roommate, looking uneasy under their gazes.

Penny sighed and came over to him. “Sheldon, look- you and I have known each other for a long time now. I’ve done a lot for you, heck you’ve even seen me naked once.”

At that, both Carly and Leonard froze.

“Uh, what?” Leonard said dumbly and Penny waved him off as if it was unimportant. Carly disagreed. Why on earth had Sheldon seen Penny naked? And why did Sheldon not look uncomfortable about it?

“It’s a long story- the point is, you can trust me, Sheldon. Just come home and let me cut your hair, please?” Penny pleaded with him. Both Carly and Leonard glanced at each other, wishing they had details.

Sheldon looked down in thought before turning his gaze to Carly. “What do you think, Carly?”

She jumped, still stewing, and not paying attention. “What was it?”

He frowned a little but repeated back to her what was said. “Penny offered to cut my hair, do you think I should let her?”

Carly smiled down at him fondly. He was asking her for her judgment? Did he value it that much? The whole naked Penny thing almost disappeared from her mind- almost. But Penny was her best friend and she trusted her more than anything. “I do, Sheldon. I’d trust Penny with my own hair.”

The blond smiled gratefully up at her and Sheldon blew out a breath. “Very well.”

They all sighed in relief. Leonard clapped his hands together. “Great! You have an appointment with hairstylist Penny after work today- so let’s get moving. At this rate, we’ll be late.”

Sheldon stood, the blanket that had been on his lap falling to the floor. “You’re right, I should get going,” he dropped down and picked the blanket back up, setting it on the couch, then followed Leonard to the door.

He stopped when he reached Carly and gave her a small, apologetic smile. “Thank you for letting me stay on your couch.”

She shook her head, not minding in the slightest. “Any time.”

His eyes twinkled and then he seemed to hesitate. She watched him, unsure of what he was thinking before he suddenly dropped to her level and kissed her on her cheek.

Heart hammering in her chest, she stared wide-eyed as he gave her a cheeky smile and a wave. “Goodbye, Carly!”

Then he was gone. Leonard was still by the door and Penny had paused on her way out when she’d seen what happened.

Carly’s hand moved absently to her cheek, unable to believe he had done that in front of their friends and everything.

She caught Penny’s eyes and saw that the blond was grinning ear to ear. “Well, all be. Our little Shelly’s all grown up!”

Carly blushed through a shy smile and she rolled her eyes. “Yeah yeah, go on. I gotta get to work too!”

Penny and Leonard laughed and they left, happy for their friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine’s Day!


	12. Chapter 12: Misunderstanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I love him, but if he gets broken, let's not get a new one." - Penny

Chapter 12: Misunderstanding

Carly found herself in a dress store one day, watching as Bernadette tried on wedding dresses. Penny sat next to her and they oohed and awed over the beautiful white choices the bride to be had to pick from.

“I still can’t believe you chose me to be your maid of honor,” Penny spoke, loud enough for Bernadette to hear as she changed in the dressing room.

Carly smiled, happy for her friend. Penny had been in tears when Bernadette had asked and Carly had to admit, the moment had almost moved her to tears as well. She was once again so thankful for how much her friends loved each other.

“You’re the first friend I ever made at The Cheesecake Factory and introduced me to Howard,” Bernadette explained, but she didn’t need to. She already had before. “You mean a lot to me.”

Penny placed her hand on her heart, feeling emotional again. “Still, I won’t let you down. You’re going to have the best bachelorette party ever.”

Bernadette laughed, coming out in a white mermaid wedding dress, showing off every curve she had. Howard would pass out if he saw her in it. “Let’s just go to Vegas or something.”

Penny fanned herself then, forgetting what they were talking about once Bernadette had exited the dressing room. “Geez, Bernadette. Are you trying to kill Howard on your wedding day?” She wisecracked.

Bernadette smiled, a little too happily. “If I planned on it, I wouldn’t need to dress like this. There’s plenty of ways in the lab to do it without any trace back to me.”

Carly and Penny glanced at each other, a little uneasy at the joke their friend had told. Bernadette noticed and rolled her eyes.

“Oh come on, I was just joking.”

Carly bit her lip and looked down at the dress. She wondered what kind of dress Sheldon would approve of- but then thought better of it. He didn’t seem like the marrying type. The thought made her a little sad.

“So it’s too much?” Bernadette asked them and both girls nodded.

Penny grimaced regretfully. “Too much.”

Bernadette sighed. “All right- the next one is the last one I’m trying on. I need a break and a latte.”

“You got it,” Carly encouraged with a grin.

The next dress had been it and all the girls knew it. After ordering it and the pink bridesmaid dresses they had picked out, they left for a Starbucks.

Coffee in their hands, they sat down at a table to enjoy the rest of the afternoon. They were supposed to pick up the pizza on the way back for dinner that night.

“So!” Penny started, getting right down to the gossip with her eyes turning to Carly- who immediately tensed with suspicion. “How’s it going with Sheldon?”

Carly rolled her eyes at her friend’s tactlessness. “You know how it’s going with Sheldon,” she laughed. “You see us all the time.”

Penny huffed. “No, what I see is you looking in his ears for ladybugs, pouring his hot mustard sauce onto his rice, helping him organize his gross journals, and watch too many episodes of Supernatural with him.”

Carly guffawed with a disbelieving, but amused laugh. “I happen to like Supernatural and he told me that he needs moral support when it gets scary.”

Bernadette stifled a snicker. “Sure, keep telling yourself that.”

Carly rolled her eyes. “Okay, then what is it then?”

“Have you guys kissed again? You know since that one time?” Penny asked her curiously.

“Comic-con?”

“Yeah, well and the kiss on the cheek that one time.”

Carly blushed and remembered when he had pressed her up against the door to her apartment and made out with her like he hadn’t done before.

Bernadette caught onto Carly’s silence. “You have!” She accused happily.

Carly’s blush deepened and she tried to shrug it off as if it wasn’t a big deal. “We have.”

“Has he french kissed you yet? Please tell me he isn’t holding out on you,” Penny begged dramatically and Carly laughed.

“Um, yes but-“

The girls squealed in giddiness and Carly hid her face in her hands. They were always like this when she told them things about Sheldon. “He wouldn’t like it if I told you these things.”

Bernadette waved her off. “Oh I’m sure Sheldon talks to Leonard about you all the time- there’s no difference.”

Carly frowned and dropped her hands. “Do you think he does?” She asked them, and then looked to Penny for confirmation.

Penny shrugged. “I have no idea. Leonard doesn’t tell me everything- well maybe he does, I don’t know.”

Carly took a deep breath. “Well, either way.” She suddenly thought of something and she immediately became uneasy. “Oh, um, Penny I’ve been meaning to ask you something but it’s a bit awkward.”

Penny was interested and she raised an eyebrow at her. “What’s up?”

Carly bit her lip. “Um, well the other day when you guys came by to pick up Sheldon from my apartment you said something about him, well... uh-“

“No need to finish,” Penny laughed, looking lighthearted. “I had to explain to Leonard too, so don’t worry. It was way before you came along. I slipped in my shower and dislocated my shoulder. I called for help and Sheldon was the only one home to help me- so he had to obviously assist in well, getting me dressed and whatnot.”

Feeling relieved yet not so relieved, Carly relaxed into a smile. “Oh, okay.”

Penny patted her hand fondly, “Don’t worry Carly, I don’t go for tall dark and dorky... now short dark and dorky, with little glasses, well that I go for.”

The girls laughed at Penny’s joke and Carly rolled her eyes. The idea that Sheldon had seen her naked- tan, blond, and gorgeous Penny- made her feel rather self-conscious. If Sheldon ever went all the way with Carly, how would she even compare?

Bernadette broke her out of her thoughts, gearing her question towards Penny. “How’s your relationship going? Still taking it slow?”

Penny ducked her head, a guilty smile appearing to which Bernadette and Carly laughed at. Penny threw her hands up defensively. “Hey, I couldn’t hold out for much longer okay? Leonard may be a short little nerd, but he has a way with his mouth that makes me go crazy.”

Carly and Bernadette cringed. “Ugh, TMI,” the microbiologist complained and Penny laughed while taking a sip from her coffee.

“And what about you and Howard? Seems like you guys are doing okay?” Carly asked the smaller blond and she shrugged.

“As okay as we’re going to be. Howard’s preparing to go into space and I’m trying to convince him to move out of his mother’s house, while also planning our wedding. I barely have time to worry about myself.”

Penny and Carly gave her sympathetic looks.

“Have you sat down with Howard and talked to him about all of this?” Carly asked her and she shook her head.

“No, because I know exactly how it'll go. He will find a million excuses as to why he can’t leave his mother just yet and I’ll look like the bad guy in the end. Plus I know how stressful it is for him, preparing to go into space. The training was rough on him... I don’t want to burden him with how I’m feeling. I can deal with it.”

Penny reached over and squeezed her hand. “But honey, don’t you realize that’s what marriage is about? His troubles are your troubles and your troubles are his.”

Bernadette let out a deep sigh and looked down at the table. “Yeah. You’re right. I guess I should talk to him.”

They chatted lightly about work and random things before deciding they should go pick up the pizza and head on over to the guys’ apartment.

Upon arriving, Sheldon smiled over at Carly and gestured for her to sit next to him.

As if she’d sit anywhere else.

“Guess what?” Sheldon said excitedly turning to her as soon as she had sat down. She smiled over at him, loving the twinkle in his eyes.

“What?”

“The guys and I decided we’re going to have a whole weekend where we do nothing but play the Star Wars video game, eat a whole bunch of junk food, and stay up all night!”

Leonard caught Carly’s surprised eyes. “It’ll be great fun,” he explained, looking rather excited himself. Then he looked to Penny who had begun to stuff her face with pizza. “If... that’s okay with you?” He suddenly looked nervous.

Penny looked back at him blankly, her cheeks full. It made it hard to understand her but she still spoke. “Why wouldn’t it?”

Sheldon scoffed at her and shook his head, focusing on his pizza but with great effort. Carly though was in deep thought and she didn’t hear the rest of the conversation.

Carly had been planning something but she hadn’t told anyone of it, so she couldn’t be that disappointed by the new plans. She realized that perhaps she should have brought it up with Sheldon.

She frowned and looked down at her hands. Sheldon noticed after a moment, drawing her from her thoughts.

“What’s the matter?” He sounded worried and that spoke to her.

She looked up at him, seeing the concern, and tried to feign nonchalance. “Oh, nothing sorry. Just thinking about this weekend. If you’re busy, I should probably think of something to do.”

Sheldon looked only mildly apologetic, but she didn’t take offense. She knew how excited he was. “Maybe go to the Burbank Animal Shelter.”

His suggestion was thoughtful and she smiled. “Maybe. Or perhaps I’ll go see my grandmother. She’s been begging to see me since I moved.”

Sheldon tilted his head thoughtfully at her. “That would be nice. I know you miss her too.”

She nodded and gave him an appreciative smile. “I hope you have a good time... I’ll uh, miss you.” She said it awkwardly and quietly, not wanting their friends to overhear.

He looked away, seeming shy almost for a moment, and then smiled fondly at her. “I’ll miss you too- now quit it. Eat your dinner before it becomes a soggy mess.”

Carly grinned at him and took a slice of pizza, but then got a sudden thought. “Hey, um can you make sure your next Saturday is free? I want to spend time with you, just us.”

Sheldon looked over at her in surprise but quickly recovered. “Of course! What did you have in mind?”

She shrugged. “It’s a surprise.”

He groaned dramatically. “Not agaaaain,” he complained, sounding so very childlike. She grinned at how adorable he was.

“Well, I realized we haven’t ever been on a real date before. So I thought we could, maybe- I don’t know...” she trailed off, getting awkward as she continued because he stared at her with unspoken emotion and she wasn’t sure what else to say.

Or if he’d go for it.

She wasn’t in the dark for long because he seemed okay about it. “That sounds... nice. With you, that is.”

She smiled gratefully. “Perfect. Um, I’ll set it up and then text you the details. Oh and... we should dress up.”

Sheldon’s eyes lit up. “Like in costumes?”

Carly laughed at his naiveness. “No, I meant, like nicely. I’ll wear a dress and you wear a tie.”

“Oh,” he said, sounding a little put out but seemed to accept it. “Very well.” He gave her a boyish smile and she so wished they were alone because she would have kissed it.

“So hey,” Penny drew her attention away from her boyfriend. “Since the guys will be locked up in here with lightsabers, we should do something- just us girls.”

Bernadette perked up with a grin. “Ooh. Like what?”

Carly tilted her head. “Well I was thinking about going and seeing my grandmother, but I’m sure I could put it off again- what did you have in mind?”

Penny brightened, pleased that they were in. “We could go to a club and go dancing!”

“Hold on-!” Sheldon interjected and Penny groaned, leaning back in her chair in exhaustion. Carly tensed and reluctantly looked over to him. He peered down at her with incredible disapproval. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Don’t you remember the last time you drank, Carly?”

Of course, she remembered. It had been a pivot in their relationship. “Yes, but I haven’t drunk that much since. I’ve completely learned my lesson.”

It was the truth. She didn’t ever want to lose control like that again, and more than that didn’t want to disappoint him if she could help it.

“Oh come on, Sheldon. She’s a grown woman, she doesn’t need her boyfriend telling her what she can’t do,” Penny complained with a roll of her eyes, to which Sheldon glared.

“I’m not telling her what to do, Penny. I’m asking her to think about it logically, something you aren’t capable of if past occurrences are proof,” he said bitingly, then added smartly, “which they are.”

Penny scowled at him and then turned to Carly who was frowning at him, not liking how he was talking about Penny in her honor. “Carly, look- you don’t have to drink. Just come with us. It’ll be fun.”

Carly caught the anxious eyes of Sheldon and then looked over at Penny’s hopeful face. She didn’t want to let either of them down. “I’m not the club type though. Maybe we can do something else?”

Penny’s shoulders slumped and Sheldon looked pleased. Carly shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

Bernadette spoke up, thinking aloud, “We could go to Vegas.”

If Sheldon hadn’t liked the nightclub idea, he was horrified at the prospect of Carly going to Vegas. “No, absolutely not!”

Penny and Bernadette both glared over at him and Carly sighed, knowing that she’d have to say something to her boyfriend. He couldn’t just dictate where she went because of his insecurities.

She placed a gentle hand on his arm, feeling him jump at the contact. He glanced down at it before looking at her expectantly.

“Sheldon, you can’t decide for me.”

He opened his mouth, obviously about to protest further but Penny cut in before he could utter a word.

“It’s for Bernadette’s bachelorette party! She has to come.”

Bernadette and Carly both looked surprised by the admission, but then the former smiled. “Perfect! Carly, you have to come.”

Carly took a deep breath, her hand sliding from Sheldon’s arm and biting her lip. “Of course I will.” The girls both squealed with happiness and Carly tried to look happy, and she was, but she was terrified to look over in Sheldon’s direction.

She didn’t need to wait long to find out what his reaction was because suddenly, he stood. Everyone looked up at him, even Carly, in surprise.

He glanced down at the floor uneasily and avoided their gazes. “I see my worries do not matter to any of you, so I’ll just take my leave.”

His words stung and she watched in horror as he left for his bedroom, the door slamming soon after making them all jump.

Carly realized she had outstretched a hand as if to stop him from going, but dropped it down to her lap dejectedly.

“Don’t worry about him,” Leonard told her, sobering first. “He’ll get over it.”

Carly wasn’t so sure. She felt like she had done something wrong. Like she had disregarded his feelings. Of course, she cared about them, even understood them, but she couldn’t just stop living her life because of them.

Seeing the worry on her face, Penny sighed and came over to her, sitting down in Sheldon’s spot- which just felt so wrong to her.

“Hey, it’s fine. He just hates when he doesn’t get his way. He’ll throw a temper tantrum, kick his feet, and before you know it he’ll be over it.”

Carly frowned and looked down at her hands, her fingers fidgeting in her lap. “Yeah,” she said noncommittally.

The others exchanged glances and tried to get back to finishing their food. Carly left the apartment soon after, worried about her boyfriend but feeling too guilty to go and talk to him.

She knew it wouldn’t do much good anyway. He was hellbent on her not going. He’d probably just try to convince her to stay.

oO0Oo

The next day when Carly got off work, she was surprised to see Penny walking down the stairs to meet her at 2B.

“Hey,” she said with a warm smile. “I got you something.”

Carly looked down at her hands, realizing she was holding a flat white box with a purple ribbon tied to it. “It’s not my birthday,” she said, eyeing it.

Penny cracked a grin. “I know, your birthday is in June. It’s for this weekend.”

At the reminder of what she had agreed to do, despite her boyfriend's protests, she held back a frown. “Oh, thanks.”

She took the box from Penny and slid the lid off, revealing a champagne sequenced dress. Her eyes practically popped out at it. Was she for real?

“Do you like it?” Penny asked hopefully, her eyes eager when Carly looked up at her.

“It’s so fancy looking- I couldn’t possibly wear something like this.”

Penny waved her off. “Oh don’t give me that, Carly. I know how good you look when you wear form-fitted clothes. You’re gonna look so hot in Vegas. I got Bernadette a white one, ya know cause she’s the bride.”

Carly frowned then, her eyebrows knitting together, thinking of Sheldon. “Speaking of which, I don’t think-“

“No, you can’t back out just because of your wackadoodle boyfriend. It’s Bernadette’s bachelorette party. You have to come.”

Carly sighed and put the lid back on the box, then held it to her chest while looking at Penny somberly. “Have you talked to him?”

Penny’s smile faltered and she looked away for a moment. “No. Leonard says he is pretty upset though. He’s being more difficult than usual.”

Carly bit her lip. “I should go talk to him. He’s upset with me.”

Penny shook her head. “Carly, he needs to realize he can’t just control you. It’s your life.”

Carly knew Penny meant well, but she was missing the point. “He knows that. That's not why he’s upset.”

Penny’s eyebrows knit in confusion. “Then why?”

“It’s because he thinks I don’t care about his feelings.”

Penny made a silent “oh” with her mouth and sighed. “That makes more sense. But do you think talking to him will help? You’ll just make him more upset if you tell him you’re still going... you are still going right?”

Carly shrugged. “Yes, I still plan to go. I just... don’t want to leave him here thinking that about me when it’s not true.”

Penny nodded. “Okay, fair enough.”

Carly peered up at her nervously. “Is he home?”

She shook her head. “No, not yet. I think they’re at GameStop.”

Carly nodded and shifted with the box in her hand. “All right. Can you text me when he gets home? I have a lot of packing to do before tomorrow.”

Penny smiled softly and nodded. “Of course.”

Carly made a move to leave but then paused, smiling at Penny. “Thanks for the dress.”

Penny brightened. “You’re welcome! Oh, I can’t wait!”

Carly had to admit she was excited too, but her nerves were keeping her from showing it.

It was almost eight when Penny texted her, “Sheldon’s in a mood, and I wouldn’t come up.”

Carly’s heart fell and she stared down at the message, disheartened. She should have just talked to him after dinner the night before instead of chickening out. Now it had festered.

Sighing she wondered if she could salvage the situation, even if he was in a bad mood.

Taking a deep breath, she stood from her couch and turned her tv off. She wore a pair of gray sweatpants and a red t-shirt, comfortable after a long day's work. The box Penny had given her was left untouched on her coffee table.

She needed to calm Sheldon down. Or try to at least. It was her fault he was being like this.

She left her apartment after sliding shoes on and went up to 4A, not knocking because she was worried he’d turn her away.

When she walked inside, she saw Leonard on his computer and Sheldon nowhere to be found. Penny wasn’t there either.

Upon hearing her come in, Leonard turned in his chair and gave her a wary smile. “Hey, Carly. What’s up?”

Carly gave him a grimaced smile. “Penny said that Sheldon was in a mood... where is he?” She looked around the living room as if he’d vaporize before her.

Leonard faltered and stood from his chair, pushing his glasses up his nose nervously. “He’s in the bathroom. He said something about flushing the emotions out of his head with a neti pot.”

Carly frowned, feeling guilty. “Because of me?” She asked in a murmur, scared it was true.

Leonard looked apologetic. “He’s been acting a little crazier today than usual. He threw the sex-ed book we gave him a while back out of the car window today. I didn’t even know he carried it with him.”

That unsettled her. It was as if he was trying to bury whatever he felt towards her or throw his care for her out the window. This was deeper than she had thought.

“I need to fix this,” she muttered, her heart racing with fear that he was going to break up with her. That all the progress they had made in their relationship was being ruined.

She moved past Leonard and marched to their bathroom, vaguely hearing the water on but didn’t care.

She threw open the door, Leonard’s protests of her actions falling on deaf ears. At first, she didn’t see him but as she fully entered the room, she realized he was in the shower.

Backtracking, she widened her eyes when she saw him. He stood under the showerhead, fully clothed, and completely drenched. When he saw her his whole expression went rigid and he stared at her through wide, torturous eyes.

“Sheldon!” She gasped, coming to terms with what she was witnessing. “What are you-“ she made a move to approach him, to pull him out of the shower but he backed up away from her, as far as he could against the wall.

She stopped, her hand outstretched towards him and holding the empty air.

“Don’t come any closer to me! I’m cleansing myself of all the filthy things your womanly charms have done to me.”

Carly felt panic then. “No.” She urged. “You’ve misunderstood! You’re wrong about this.”

Sheldon gave her a derisive look as if to say? “I am never wrong!”

“You are this time, Sheldon,” she told him, her voice high and scared.

His eyebrows furrowed deeply over his eyes and he stared out at her blankly, clearly not understanding how he could be wrong.

“I’ll explain if you just- come out of there. You’re soaked!” She said offhandedly, attempting to coax him out of the tub.

“No. I’m not moving until all of the dopamine, oxytocin, norepinephrine, and vasopressin leave me when I think of you.”

He looked almost like a wild animal and it frightened her. He was trying so hard to stop liking her, so afraid she’d hurt him.

She hated herself for doing this to him.

“Sheldon, please,” she begged, putting her hands together in a pleading motion. “Please come out. I just want to explain.”

Sheldon screwed his face up and looked away from her. “There’s nothing to explain.”

Carly was at a loss. He wasn’t going to get out of the shower. Not without insight. She took a deep breath to calm herself and put her hands down at her sides. “Okay, I’ll just explain now then...” she paused, collecting herself. “I know you think I don’t care about how you feel and I allowed you to think that, but it’s untrue. I have spent my whole life without real friends and now that I have them I want to do everything with them. Bernadette and Penny are my family. They might make mistakes, but they’re everything to me.”

He looked stung, betrayed and she closed her eyes briefly, finding the strength to continue. He was taking it personally as if she preferred the girls over him.

“I told you before that I wouldn’t drink again, that I wouldn’t put myself in dangerous situations. That I would be careful. I promised you,” she reminded him because he needed to know that. “I’m not going back on my word, Sheldon. I will never go back on my word because you mean the most to me. Your opinion of me, your happiness, your comfort- it means more to me than anything in this world and I will never go back on my word to you.”

She meant it, vowed even. Carly stared at him, her breaths coming out in heavy pants because of how anxious she was to have him listen to her, to understand.

“This is Bernadette’s bachelorette party. I want to be there for her. She is one of my best friends and I’m happy that she is getting married. I want to celebrate with her,” she told him. “I am not going because I don’t care about how you feel. I care deeply about how you feel, about everything. I care about your routines, your interests, your job - everything that makes you who you are. It’s what I love about you and I couldn’t even begin to not care about any of it now that you’re in my life- do you understand? So please, listen to me. I mean it. Don’t give up on us!”

She was outright begging by the end of it, not realizing she had used the big L word to him. He stared at her with wide eyes, hanging onto every word with an unreadable expression.

For a long, drawn-out moment and her words hanging in the air, she wondered if she had gotten through to him. Or if she hadn’t. She didn’t know what she’d do if she lost him now. That everything that had happened between them had been for nothing. That her strong feelings for him were for naught.

And then, slowly and cautiously, he dropped down and turned the shower off. Her heart skipped a beat as she watched him climb out of the tub, drenching the floor and making a mess.

His hair hung to his head and droplets of water dripped down his cheeks, almost looking like tears. His lip trembled and she held her breath, hope racing through her. Then he violently shivered and she sprung into action.

“Oh, Sheldon-“ she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around him, trying but failing to keep him warm. He was freezing. Had it just been cold water he had been standing in for who knows how long? “You’re going to get sick,” she cried, wretched at his condition.

He shivered against her hands and looked up at her pathetically. “I need to get out of these wet clothes-“

“Of course!” She steered him out of the bathroom, his wet footsteps on the floor. She saw Penny and Leonard standing in the hallway, looking like they had heard the whole thing and was watching them in worry.

“Can you help clean the water up- I need to get him changed,” Carly asked, helping the shivering Sheldon to his bedroom, her voice shaking.

“Of course!” Leonard called after her and she closed the door behind them.

Turning around, she went over to his dresser and opened the top drawer, seeing pajamas. She had absolutely no idea which ones to choose and turned to see Sheldon standing in the middle of the room, silent and looking wounded.

“Sheldon, I - I’m going to go make you some tea. Get dressed into something warm,” she told him, putting a hand to his arm. He didn’t look at her but nodded numbly.

She worried her lips and pulled herself away, leaving him in his room. As she closed the door behind her, she saw Leonard on all fours with a towel, drying up the trail of water.

“Thank you,” she told him and moved past him to their kitchen. She grabbed Sheldon’s tea box and a mug, then turned to fill the kettle with water and put it on the stove to get hot.

She didn’t realize she was trembling until Penny touched her hand. She snapped her eyes up to her and saw the look of worry in her green eyes.

“Are you okay?”

Carly shook. “I don’t know,” she told her honestly. “I think he’s going to break up with me and I-“ she broke off, feeling a sob breakthrough and causing hot tears to pour out of her eyes and down her cheeks.

Penny pulled her into a hug, letting her cry into her hair. She didn’t stop until the kettle began to whistle and she pulled away abruptly to get it but Leonard had returned and grabbed it, pouring it into the mug she had got out.

Carly wiped at her face, trying to get a hold of herself. She took a chamomile tea bag from the tea box and slid it into the mug Leonard handed over to her.

She began steeping it, unable to say anything to anyone at the moment. Leonard and Penny looked at each other over her, concerned.

“Carly, it’s going to be okay,” Leonard began but Carly put the mug down a little harshly on the counter- jarring them.

“You said that last time, and now look what’s happened!” She didn’t mean to yell at him, but her emotions were all over the place and she was scared.

He widened his eyes at her, surprised at the outburst. Penny took her shoulder. “You can’t blame yourself, Carly. It was just a misunderstanding.”

Carly shook her head then gathered the mug back into her hands, needing to get away from their worried gazes and attempts at reassuring her. She needed Sheldon.

She moved past them wordlessly and went back to Sheldon’s bedroom. She knocked once but when she didn’t hear a response, she slid open the door and poked her head in.

He was dressed in his pajamas now and curled up in his bed, his back to her and on his side. She swallowed down thick emotion and made herself walk in.

“Sheldon, I brought you t-tea,” she stumbled over her words, closing the door with one hand, and then headed over to him.

She sat herself down on the bed behind him and put the mug on his nightstand, on the appropriate coaster. She stared at his back, trying to not let herself get swept away again.

It wouldn’t do her any good.

“Sheldon?” She tried again and she watched his shoulders move up and down as if sighing heavily.

“I’m cold.”

Carly bit her lip and looked over at the mug of hot tea. “You shouldn’t have sat under the cold water for so long... Leonard told me you were using a neti pot, what made you go for the shower?”

Sheldon finally sat up and her heart sped up at the action. His hair was still damp and his face was pale. He stared down at his bedspread in thought. “I started with the neti pot but it wasn’t working.”

Carly watched him for a few beats. “You mean to erase me from your mind.”

Sheldon nodded.

He was hurt. Very hurt. Carly recognized that now. She just wished she had realized it sooner. She wanted to reach out to him but didn’t feel like it was the right time.

She took the mug from the end table and offered it to him. He delicately took it from her and took a long sip. She looked down at her hands in her lap, fearing the worst.

She needed to know.

“Are we breaking up?” She asked in a tiny, scared voice.

She didn’t dare look at him but she felt his eyes on her. Her heartbeat hard in her ears, drowning out her thoughts.

“Why would we break up?”

His childlike, naive question broke her and she laughed, sounding bitter, unbelieving. “Because you were trying to stop liking me.”

“It’s true, I was...” he trailed off, looking down and licked his lips. “But I failed.”

Carly looked at him then, a sliver of hope in her heart. “Failed?”

He nodded and averted his gaze, staring down at the floor next to him. “I can’t get you out of my mind, no matter how hard I try. It’s-“ he broke off, wincing with a thought. “-maddening.”

Carly understood him so well. He held her heart in his hands. If anyone in this world could hurt her the most, it was him. That must be how he felt.

“Sheldon,” she said, bringing his eyes back to her. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I didn’t mean to. It was never my intention.”

Sheldon eyed her for a long time then looked down. “I understand that now.”

That was a relief and she relaxed. He wasn’t breaking up with her and he understood now. It was as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Yet, she still felt the tension.

“I won’t go if you don’t want me to,” she told him, honestly and meaning every word. “You mean more to me than anything.”

“No you’re right,” he told her quickly, looking different. “I need to trust you.”

Carly bit her lip and looked down. “I won’t do anything to break that trust.”

“I believe you. After all, you love me.”

He said it so matter of factly like it was a normal conversation for them that she didn’t catch it at first but then she froze.

“What?” She asked, slowly looking up at him to make sure she had heard him right.

Sheldon averted his gaze, shifting uneasily under her penetrating eyes. “You told me you loved me in the bathroom,” he told her softly.

Carly blinked, reviewing what she had said to him, and then with a sudden realization, knew it was true. She had been feeling it for a while now but she hadn’t fully understood it herself.

She swallowed thickly. He seemed to be taking it well. No sign of panicking. A little embarrassed but that was it.

“I...” She didn’t know what to say.

Sheldon took a drink of his tea. “It’s all right. I’m relieved to hear it.”

“Relieved?” She echoed, not understanding.

He nodded vaguely. “Yes, because... I love you too.”

Carly’s jaw dropped then. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers. “You do?” She whispered in disbelief.

Sheldon backtracked, looking caught. “Yes. It’s the only explanation of what I’m feeling for you and why I can’t stop it.”

Carly felt elated, but so drained from the emotional rollercoaster she had experienced. She smiled through tears at him, wanting to show him just how much it meant to her that he shared the same feelings.

“I’m so glad,” she murmured and he smiled softly, their eyes meeting and telling each other everything they needed to know.

Then, a sudden thought occurred to him and he groaned dramatically.

“What?” She asked suddenly, worried by his behavior.

“I can feel a cold coming on- I won’t feel up to playing Star Wars tomorrow.” He looked miserable and she felt guilty all over again. This was all her fault.

“I’m so sorry Sheldon,” she told him, her shame evident on her face and in her voice.

He leaned his head back on the wall. “No, it’s my fault. I’m the one who got into a cold shower.”

“I’ll stay and take care of you,” she offered, no longer feeling like it was right for her to leave him. No matter what he said, she felt responsible for it.

He shook his head, giving her a serious look. “No, don’t. It’s fine. I- 'll manage on my own. I have Leonard, don’t forget.”

Carly gave him a half-hearted smile, thinking that Leonard probably wouldn’t be too happy taking care of a sick Sheldon. But she did appreciate the go-ahead to go.

“If you’re absolutely sure,” she said to him, still worried she was making the wrong choice.

Sheldon gave her a real smile then and it took her breath away. “I’m positive. Just... keep your promise.”

Carly suddenly got an idea and stuck her pinky out to him. He stared down at it blankly before trailing his eyes back up to her, confused. She grinned. “I’m pinky promising you.”

Sheldon’s lips curved upwards and gingerly wrapped his pinky around hers. “No going back,” he told her.

She tilted her head, still smiling. “Never will.”


	13. Chapter 13: Orinthophobia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Get back here, you stupid bird, so I can love you." - Sheldon

Chapter 13: Orinthophobia

Carly felt like she was closer to Penny and Bernadette after that weekend with them in Vegas. They ended up staying up late, cheered Penny on at a slot machine, danced to their heart's content, and saw male strippers at a club. Carly had to admit that she hadn’t ever experienced something so invigorating before.

Sheldon had texted her the whole time, making her so relieved that they were still together. After confessing their love for another, Carly felt like maybe they stood a chance to stay together. For the long run. She sincerely hoped so.

She had told the girls of this revelation between them during a large glass of wine. It had been the only alcohol she had let herself drink, which honestly just made her very chatty and giggly, then just straight up sleepy.

Penny and Bernadette had been so happy for her and Sheldon, telling her just how she had changed him. Carly hadn’t meant to change him. She accepted him for who he was, it had just happened.

To be fair, he had changed her too. Finally- she felt like she could trust again. After everything that had happened in her life, building up to this point, she had held herself together by a thread. She hadn’t realized this until she had met Sheldon. Until he brought emotions and feelings out of her that she hadn’t assessed before. She was a little embarrassed that she had come to him as a downright mess, but he was healing her heart.

She hoped that she could do the same for him. He’d had a difficult life himself. The world hadn’t been welcoming to a genius like him.

oO0Oo

“Can I ask you something?” Penny spoke up after a long silent pause while styling Carly’s hair into a pretty half do. Her long brown hair waved around her face and she had placed a white little bow around the small ponytail at the back of her head.

“Sure, of course,” Carly said with a smile, staring at her reflection in the mirror she was holding up to her face. She still couldn’t believe she was going on an actual date with the man she loved that day.

No longer a surprise, they had planned a whole day together and she couldn’t wait. Penny had offered to help get her ready, teasing her that she needed to look her best on her first date with him.

“I can’t help but notice that since you’ve started dating Sheldon that you’ve been rather... well, insecure. Has someone hurt you before?”

Penny’s intuitive observation took her by surprise. She dropped the hand mirror to her lap and stared ahead as Penny performed the finishing touches on her hair.

“Oh,” Carly murmured. It wouldn’t hurt to tell Penny, she was her best friend now. She trusted her. “Well, it’s kind of a long story.”

Penny shrugged. “I’ve got time,” she encouraged gently, and then moved to the chair at Carly’s table. She sat across from her and gave her a small smile. “I just worry about you is all.”

Carly’s heart tightened at that. No one except her Grandmother had ever cared enough to worry about her. The fact that both Penny and Sheldon did nowadays was amazing.

Carly took a deep breath. “Well, when I was growing up I didn’t talk. Like ever. My grandmother thinks it is because of what happened to my parents and I have to agree that it makes sense. However, because of that, I didn’t make friends. I was always alone. The ones I did make always had other, cooler friends to hang out with most of the time, so I really couldn’t count them.

When I got to college, I wanted to try to make actual friends. I put myself out there, joined clubs, and I made one. She was nice and hung out with me. We studied a lot together and I will always be grateful for the help on my thesis... but then I met John and everything changed.”

Carly bit her lip, trailing off and seeing Penny hanging on to every word she said. Carly continued hesitantly, her eyes going off to a distant memory as she spoke.

“John was kind, gentle. He rode a motorcycle which intrigued me because he was so different from other guys. He took an interest in me right away and I was stunned. Up until then, no man had ever looked twice at me. I was terrified. He kissed me a few times, closed mouthed, and tried to do more but I was so shy and scared that I constantly put him off.

Then, I found him and my so-called friend together in an empty study room. They were-“ Carly broke off, a strange emotion bubbling inside of her as she thought about it. “Well I’m sure you can figure out what they were doing... in one instant, I lost two of the people I had leaned on the most.

So I decided to stop caring about friends or love for a long time. I had put myself out there before and I had gotten hurt, so I didn’t think I could go through with it again. I finished my master's, worked at a library in Burbank, and took care of my Grandmother. That is until she convinced me to move out and try to have a life of my own, outside of her. She told me that it would be good for me. So I did, and well- you know everything else.”

Penny whistled lowly at the story, shaking her head. “I’ve been cheated on before- I understand. That’s why it’s been hard for me and Leonard. You know, he’s a great guy. Amazing even. So smart- but so unlike any man I have ever been with. He makes me scared because I don’t want to ruin what we have. I worry about it all the time because I’ve had a horrible track record with men. If what Leonard and I have gets damaged, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Carly nodded, completely getting it. “It’s the same for me, in some ways, with Sheldon. I’m terrified of losing him. What if I do something that just scares him away one day? He’s so particular. I’m honestly surprised he hasn’t yet.”

Penny shrugged. “Sheldon is like a two-year-old. He’s super possessive of things that he enjoys. Comic books, his whiteboards, heck- even his friends. You’ve become one of his most treasured possessions, Carly- it’s only natural for him to behave the way he does when it comes to you.”

Carly knew she was referring to the bachelorette party fiasco. “I know. And don’t get me wrong, I love that he feels that way about me. It’s just... there’s so much pressure to be perfect for him. I don’t feel like I’ll measure up to his standards the longer we go on.”

Penny sighed with a sympathetic smile. “I wouldn’t worry about that, Carls. I can’t talk for him but he wants you, perfect or not.”

Carly bit her lip and looked down at her lap in thought. That was true. He was in love with her, even after all of her meltdowns. If that hadn’t scared him off, she didn’t know what would.

“All right! Let’s stop with the sad stories,” Penny said standing all of a sudden and Carly looked up to see the grin on her face. “Go get that dress on!”

Penny had let her borrow a baby pink eyelet dress that dropped to her knees, and she planned to put a simple white cardigan over the top of it, with matching sneakers.

Carly grinned, feeling a wave of excitement and nervousness at what the day lay ahead for her. She got up with purpose and went to get changed.

Upon exiting her bedroom, all dressed for the day, she grinned at Penny- who put her hands on her cheeks and smiled at her like she was the cutest thing in the world.

“I feel like Sandy from Grease,” Carly admitted, swaying her dress a little. Penny laughed.

“If you were blonde, you’d probably look just like her,” Penny told her happily. “You look so great! He better love it.”

Carly’s heart jumped when she thought of Sheldon, arriving any minute so they could leave. “I’m so nervous and I don’t know why.”

Penny waved her off. “Oh sweetie, you’re gonna have a great time. Sheldon loves spending time with you, you know that.”

Carly nodded, feeling breathless with anxiety. “Yeah, you’re right. We will have a good time.”

Penny grinned just as three familiar, consecutive knocks rapped on her door. Carly jumped and turned to it.

She glanced at Penny who gave her two thumbs up. “You got this!”

Carly grinned and went over to her door, opening it to see Sheldon standing there wearing a pair of dark jeans, a gray and white striped button-up shirt, and a black blazer over the top. He didn’t wear a tie, but he didn’t need it.

He looked so different than any other time she’d seen him, almost like a different person. Gone was the superhero shirt and the pushed-up sleeves, and there stood a mature, handsome physicist.

Her handsome physicist.

“Carly,” he said softly after eyeing her attire as well. “You look pretty.”

Carly’s heart jumped at his compliment, a smile growing on her face. Ever since Comic-Con he never missed the opportunity to tell her what he thought of her appearance. “Thank you, Sheldon. You look so very handsome.”

Sheldon smiled back down at her but then caught sight of something and looked over her head. He frowned. “Penny? Why’re you here?”

Penny appeared at Carly’s side, handing Carly the white purse she had prepared with a long shoulder strap, then looked at Sheldon. “No need to get all weird on me, I was just helping her get dolled up. I hope you guys have a great time.”

Carly smiled appreciatively and Sheldon gave a boyish grin. “Oh we will- I have it all planned out.” He reached into his blazer pocket and pulled out a small notepad. “We better get going if we don’t want to miss them feeding the sharks.”

“Oh that’s right, you’re going to the aquarium first,” Penny remembered and moved past them with her hands up. “Well don’t mind me. I don’t want to hold you guys up.”

“Thank you, Penny,” Carly told her gratefully and the blond flashed her a grin before running up the stairs.

“Shall we go?” Sheldon suggested as Carly looked over to him, still surprised by how well he cleaned up.

“Of course,” she said with a smile and closed her apartment door and locked it, before following him down the remaining flights of stairs out of the building.

He still held the notepad in his hand as they got into her car and put on their safety belts. She glanced at it as she pulled out of the parking spot along the curb and headed for the Pasadena aquarium.

“Did you write down everything we’re going to be doing today?” She wondered and he gave her a grin, clearly excited she had noticed.

“Yes!” Then he proceeded to read off the schedule he had created. “At 10:30, we will watch the feeding of the sharks. At 11, we’ll walk around the aquarium and then at 12- lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, then at 1, walk-off our meal at -“

“Hey, Sheldon?” Carly cut him off, with a sudden thought. She glanced at him as they drove and he looked perturbed that she had interrupted him. “I’m sorry to cut you off, it’s just that I was thinking. Maybe we should go to the mall again after lunch. I know you don’t like walking around parks... because of the pigeons and the ducks.”

Realizing what she was saying, he conceded, defending himself unnecessarily. “They’re overly friendly there- they just come right up to you!” He huffed then looked over at her, apologetically. “You wanted to go to the park though.”

Carly shrugged. “I know but it’s totally fine with me if we don’t. I’d rather you be comfortable. It’s not just about me, silly.”

Sheldon frowned and looked out the window. “I know it’s not, it’s just... I know that being with me can be difficult.”

Carly knit her eyebrows together in concern and she reached over and took his hand. He looked down at it then trailed up her arm to her face. His eyes looked sorry.

“I told you, it’s not a big deal,” she told him firmly with a smile. “Plus! It can’t be easy for you to date me. I cry every two seconds.”

She tried to laugh it off but good lord was it true.

Sheldon shook his head. “You don’t, though. You only cry when you get upset and I know what to do now.”

Her heart melted at his words and she gave him an appreciative grin. He smiled back but then slid his hand out from underneath hers while giving her a stern look.

“Now no hand-holding while driving! I want to make it to the aquarium in one piece otherwise all of this planning will have been for nothing.”

Carly put her hand back on the wheel and laughed. He was too cute.

oO0Oo

“I can’t believe they kicked us out!” Sheldon complained as they walked down the sidewalk and to the parking garage where Carly’s car was.

She bit her lip, feeling embarrassed but trying to keep it together in front of her boyfriend who didn’t realize what he had done wrong.

“Well you were banging loud on the tank while they were feeding the sharks,” she tried to explain to him but he just huffed indignantly.

“I was trying to tell them that sharks have been around for more than 450 million years- not 450 thousand years. If they’re going to spout shark facts to people they could at least get the numbers right!” He told her, still fuming, clearly bothered.

She glanced down with slight disappointment. She knew he was just trying to correct them, he was trying to stop the spread of misinformation. Which in all honesty was great but...

They got into her car and buckled up. She stared at the dash, wondering what they were going to do now. Sheldon peered over at her for a moment and she sighed softly. She heard him turn towards her in his seat.

“Are you mad at me for getting us kicked out of the aquarium?”

He sounded so sad, apologetic, and upset with himself that her first instinct was to set him at ease. She took a deep breath and looked back at him.

“No, I’m not mad. I just am a little disappointed. I was looking forward to the jellyfish,” she admitted with a sad smile. “But it’s fine, Sheldon. We can... do something else if you want?”

Sheldon stared at her, trying to dissect her words and figure out any hidden meaning within them. “I’m sorry.”

She shook her head and smiled at him. She didn’t want him to feel guilty about it anymore. What was done was done. “Don’t apologize. It’s okay. I know you were just trying to help.”

Sheldon sighed and took his notepad out, gazing down at it in contempt. “It’s almost eleven... what should we do for the next hour?”

Carly tilted her head, thinking about it but came up with nothing. She supposed they could go to the train store or something, anything to keep him happy-

“I want to go to the park.”

That threw her. She snapped her eyes to him in stark surprise. “What? You hate the park-“

Sheldon shook his head quickly. “No, I want to go with you. I already ruined the first part of our date, let me make it up to you.”

“You don’t have to Sheldon, we can just go to the train store or th-the comic book store or something,” she suggested, trying to think of a place he’d enjoy. She didn’t want him forcing himself just because he felt bad about the aquarium.

Sheldon’s face turned rather serious, and firm. “No. Please, Carly, let me make this right.”

Carly eyed his determined eyes and gulped. “Okay,” she conceded. “If you’re sure.”

“Without a doubt,” he told her immediately, with no hesitation.

Carly bit her lip and tore her gaze away to turn the car on. “All right, let’s go then.” She wasn’t so sure about it though.

She drove them to the city park and parked by the curb, seeing many families enter the park. It was a sunny Saturday mid-morning and she had figured the park would be busy.

This probably wouldn’t end up good.

She turned the car off and looked at him. He was taking his seat belt off, a look of trepidation on his face that he was trying to conceal from her.

“Sheldon, we don’t have to do this,” she told him, wishing he didn’t feel obligated.

He looked over at her, his hand on the door handle to exit the car. “I want to. Now hurry up, let’s go so we can scale the whole park before lunch. I want to make it count.”

Then he threw open his door and climbed out, leaving her to gape after him. The whole park? Geez.

Collecting herself, she grabbed her purse and got out of the car, meeting him on the sidewalk. They assessed the situation one last time before he headed for the entrance and she had to quicken her steps to follow after him.

He had pretty long legs and could move quicker than she thought.

They fell into step with one another after a moment and she looked around, watching families play on the grass and have picnics. Some throwing bread into the ponds to feed the ducks. A few loners reading books on the benches or under trees.

It was nice. She looked up at Sheldon as they walked, seeing him look uneasy but his gaze was rather hard. Like he was trying not to let any of it bother him.

Carly wondered if she could get his mind off of it so they could enjoy themselves. She bit her lip in thought and figured why not try. “Hey, wanna play a game?”

Sheldon looked down at her with sudden interest. “Sure! What kind of game?”

She grinned, glad that it was working. “Um, what about... twenty questions?”

A flash of confusion passed over his eyes but then he seemed to recognize the game. “Very well- I’ll go first. Which of Newton’s Laws state that ‘for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction?’”

Carly blinked at his question, then laughed lightly. “Oh, I meant questions about us. Like our lives or something. For example,” she threaded her fingers together. “What was your favorite thing to do growing up?”

Sheldon perked up. “Oh... I see. You’re proposing we ask questions about one another to learn more about ourselves.”

She nodded with a smile. “Exactly.”

Sheldon gave her a nod of understanding, “All right. I’ll answer your question then- but just to let you know, the answer to my question is ‘The Third Law of Motion’.”

She grinned and said for his benefit, “I’ll remember that.”

He smiled at her and then looked ahead. “When I was younger, I liked to create things to prove or disprove theories.”

Carly smiled, trying to imagine a younger version of Sheldon. “That must be why you became a theoretical physicist.”

He smiled down at her. “Most definitely.” Then he sobered. “What about you, what did you do? Read books?”

Carly laughed at the assumption. “Something like that. I didn’t have friends in school so I made up for it with characters in books.”

“I understand that. Spock was my only friend for a long time. He was the only one who I related to the most.”

Carly smiled, thinking of him in his Spock costume. He was so cute. “Okay! Next question: If you could live anywhere, where would you live?”

Sheldon’s response was readily and instantaneous. “Mars.”

Carly’s eyebrows shot up. “Mars? Interesting choice. To be honest I was thinking like Canada or Maine.”

Sheldon’s nose wrinkled at the examples. "Definitely not. Maine is the third coldest state in the country and don’t get me started on Canada.”

Carly chuckled. “You don’t like the cold?”

He shook his head. “I don’t mind it seasonally, but all year long is just mundane.”

“I suppose that’s true. I do love the sunshine,” she said thoughtfully.

They continued to ask each other questions about one another, learning more and more about their childhoods and such. Carly enjoyed it and she was also glad that Sheldon’s mind was off of the impending birds and crowds.

She thought that up until they reached a large pond that was nearly covered in ducks, with a couple of geese. She noticed it before him and realized that he would panic when he did.

She suddenly grabbed his hand, taking him by surprise and he looked down at it before looking up at her questioningly.

“I just thought it’d be appropriate since we’re on a date,” she told him, which wasn’t exactly a lie- but she didn’t want him freaking out too much when he saw.

At first, he seemed to protest for some reason, but then he visibly relaxed and gave her a warm smile. “Very true. I’m under the impression that couples do hold hands like this when they’re on da-“

And that was when he noticed.

Briefly closing her eyes in chagrin, she peeked over at him and he looked horrified. She tightened her grip on his hand and he walked a bit closer to her instinctively.

“Carly, do you see-“

“Yes, I know. We can get past them quickly,” she encouraged and tugged on his hand a little, willing him forward.

He nodded and visibly gulped, unsettled being an understatement. Glad that he was allowing her to help him, they sped up and tried to move around the pond as quickly as possible.

And then the unthinkable happened.

More than forty or so ducks flapped their wings and took flight above them.

With the loud, flapping sounds and the whoosh of wind- Sheldon yelped and let go of her hand to throw his palms up over his head, crouching down on the ground in terror.

Stunned, she looked between the ducks flying above their heads and her boyfriend cowering in fear at her feet. Her protective instincts moved her into motion and she grabbed her small umbrella from her purse. She opened it quickly and knelt next to him, covering him and her with it like a shield.

At the movement and the sudden protection, he looked up and she realized just how close they were. His eyes were as wide as saucers and his mouth was parted to allow heavy, harrowing breaths.

She bit her lip, hoping that this was helping. It seemed like it was.

A quack from above had his hands shooting out and clutching her to him, the umbrella swaying but managing to stay upright around them in her hand. Her face pressed up against his chest, his arms around her tightly as he held on for dear life. He smelled familiarly of baby powder and soap, which she melted into after getting over her mild surprise.

She missed being so close to him. She didn’t want him to ever let go. She closed her eyes and smiled, nuzzling into him as his face pressed into her hair, his breath coming out in pants against her neck as he struggled to compose his fears.

The sound of the birds' wings flapping in the air faded and she opened her eyes, realizing they must be safe now. She lifted her head and he slowly loosened his hold on her, his face moving from her hair reluctantly.

They were inches apart and she felt his breath on her face as he spoke next. “Is it safe now?” His eyes were still wide and he looked nervous.

She glanced down at his mouth absently. “I think so,” she murmured, her eyes lifting back to his. “I don’t hear them anymore.”

Sheldon nodded idly and then his eyes changed. She watched as the anxiety left him and in its place, curiosity.

She gazed silently at him, wondering what he was thinking.

“Thank you,” he said, his voice in awe. “Yo-you saved me.”

She felt like that was an exaggeration but maybe that was how he saw it. A smile broke out on her face. “I’ll always save you,” she told him and she meant it.

His eyes softened and he glanced down at her mouth once. Her breathing picked up, noticing the look. She bit her lip absently and that broke him.

Swiftly, he leaned forward the couple inches and captured her mouth with his. Her eyes closed with the kiss, savoring the moment. She had missed this too.

Heart racing, she kissed him back, deftly responding with the words she couldn’t express to him.

Then it was over and he was pulling back, and she opened her eyes to see his fluttering to look at her with a half-lidded gaze.

Her heavy breathing mingled with his and he shifted in his crouch. “We should go,” he told her, his voice breathless.

She nodded, mystified and they stood. She dropped the umbrella and made a show of closing it, putting it back in her purse with fumbling fingers. His kisses always left her dazed.

He cleared his throat beside her. “Not that I’m complaining, but why did you bring an umbrella? I checked the weather this morning and it’s not supposed to rain.”

She threw him a sheepish grin. “Someone taught me to always be prepared.”

His eyes flashed. "Someone?"

Carly laughed lightly. "You, Sheldon."

"Oh." He grinned with pride, realizing what she was saying. He then caught sight of his watch. “We should go if we want to make it to lunch by eleven. The Cheesecake Factory is on the other side of town.”

She smiled with a nod, holding the strap of her bag happily. She was glad they had decided to go to the park after all . “Let’s go then.”

oO0Oo

Sheldon had been disturbed by the fact that Penny wasn’t working, and therefore wouldn’t be their server for their meal. Carly, trying to reassure him, ordered for them- telling them exactly how Sheldon wanted his burger. He had been skeptical until he saw that his food had been perfectly prepared for him. Much to her delight.

Carly listened to Sheldon talk about his work, finding it fascinating and just reminding her over and over again how smart he was. It was moments like that she felt inferior to him. Like they weren’t of the same species and she wondered if he saw her like that.

But, she didn’t need to. He loved her. He had told her that one time and she held onto it ever since, reminding herself that she had nothing to worry about.

After their lunch, they decided to call it a day, thinking they’d had enough fun. Carly would look back on that day fondly, even with the fact that they hadn’t enjoyed the aquarium as she had envisioned. It was fine with her though.

Upon reaching her floor, they paused and she was surprised to have her hand be taken with one of his. She looked up at him and saw his uncertainty.

“What’s wrong, Sheldon?”

“Nothings wrong... it’s just,” he licked his lips nervously. “We have a whole hour before our date was supposed to finish and well-“ he broke off and she smiled, thinking him adorable.

Thinking quickly she gave him a hopeful smile. “Do you want to come in for a while? I’ll make tea and we can watch something on tv.”

Sheldon visibly relaxed and gave her a nod, releasing her hand with a small smile. He followed her into her apartment and sat down in the only seat he deemed appropriate to sit in. She sat her purse down on the table after closing her door.

She handed him the remote and began making the water in her kettle, giving him a few glances as she did so. He idly changed through the channels, trying to find something suitable to watch.

As the kettle began to whistle, she turned to fill two mugs and placed tea bags in them from her little tin on her counter.

She slid her shoes off carefully by the couch as she walked over with the mugs. He took one from her gratefully and she sat down, feeling happier than she had in a long time.

The cloud of despair and uncertainty had seemed to lift from her at some point throughout the day. It was like she was finally at peace.

She glanced to the tv and saw he had stopped the television on some sci-fi show she didn’t recognize. They watched it with comfortable silence for a few minutes until he suddenly leaned forward to put his mug on her coffee table.

She looked over at him and he glanced at her while in thought. “What is it?” She asked, worried. Was something wrong?

He shook his head and turned to face her. “Carly, I’ve been meaning to tell you something but I was uncertain on how to say it.”

She frowned and placed her mug down as well, giving him her full attention, nervous it would be something that would cause her to regret feeling as happy and safe as she had.

Then he said something she never in a million years would have expected him to say.

“I’ve had a difficult time with this if you can imagine, but after going back and forth in my head about it- admittedly since you were intoxicated that one night- I’ve decided that I think it’s time to experiment with something I’ve never thought was possible for me.”

She was completely confused by that point and could only stare at him, hoping he’d elaborate. He did after a deep breath, thankfully.

“Carly,” he said then paused for effect, his eyes imploring hers in a very serious manner. “I want to have coitus with you.”

At that moment, Carly wished she knew what ‘coitus’ meant. Instead, she stared dumbly at him as he looked back at her in a meaningful way- as if she should realize that this was a huge deal.

After a moment of wracking her brain on what the heck coitus was, she cleared her throat. “Sorry I- what’s coitus?”

Sheldon’s eyebrows rose and it was written all over his face that he had seemed to forget she wasn’t accustomed to his vocabulary. “Oh, pardon me- coitus meaning sexual relations.”

Carly couldn’t help it, she gasped. No, no way. He did not mean that, did he? “S-Sex? You want to have se- with me?” She couldn’t bring herself to say the word again. This couldn’t be real. “Is this a bazinga?”

Sheldon’s eyebrows furrowed. “This isn’t a laughing matter, of course, it’s not a joke. I mean it.”

Carly gaped, then suddenly had a frigid thought. “You do? I- wait, right now?”

It was Sheldon’s turn to look stunned. “Right no-? No! Of course not right now. I meant that I’d be open to it. Think in terms of, say... three months from now? Maybe a year?”

Carly blinked. A year? Wait, had she been hopeful? “That’s a long time from now.”

Sheldon shrugged and then straightened in his seat, looking uncertain all of a sudden. “Well if the particular occasion arises, then I won’t protest it- but I’ve just come to terms with the idea, I don’t think I could go through with it so soon.” He shook himself like he was afraid of the thought, then looked to her seriously. “I just wanted you to know where I stood on the subject.”

She had to admit, she hadn’t expected any of it. Also, the fact that he had been thinking about sleeping with her all this time made her head spin. But... she was elated. He was wanting to further their relationship. That was an amazing thing.

Especially for Sheldon.

Carly bit her lip and looked down thoughtfully. She couldn’t believe this was happening. “I appreciate it. I’m glad that you told me. I’ll admit though, I’m sort of relieved you aren’t ready to have... that, right now. I’ve never you know, done it either and so I’m really nervous.”

Sheldon shifted beside her and she glanced up at his anxious face that was looking within middle distance. “Yes, I am too.” Then he looked at her, catching her gaze. “We can experiment together.”

The way he said it, the way he looked at her, put her at ease. Together. They’d do this together. She couldn’t help it, she smiled softly at him.

“Together,” she confirmed, nodding at him. His lips curved upwards.

“I have to confess, this is the first experiment I’ve done with a librarian- do you think you can do the math?”

She caught onto his joke and grinned. “I’ll try not to let you down.”

He grinned boyishly at her and it made her want to kiss him. With the new revelation on her mind, she scooted over to him and saw how he tensed from the closeness.

She looked up into his face, bringing hers close to his and he glanced down at her mouth once, before licking his lips and saying, “I-I said not right now-“

She shook her head, cutting him off. “I’m just going to kiss you.”

He relaxed and then gave her a firm nod, almost businesslike. She smiled at him and then leaned in, covering his mouth with hers.

At first, he was a little hesitant and she wondered if he was still worried she’d push the issue now that she knew about his desire for her. But she wanted to make sure he knew that she was only going to do things that were comfortable for both of them.

Still kissing him, she managed to get onto her knees next to him and put her hands on his shoulders for support. In response, he put his arm around her middle and held him to her, kissing her back while getting more into it.

She inwardly smiled as her heart began to pound heavily in her chest, loving the way he held her possessively each time they did this and how his mouth fit hers perfectly and knew exactly just how to kiss her to make her want him.

His other hand rose to her head, holding her hair and face to him, while their tongues found each other as the kiss became more passionate. The sound she made at the sudden touch of his tongue, made his hands on her tighten and she was almost unable to breathe by how crushed she was to him.

To get more comfortable in this kiss, she moved her leg over him and straddled his hips, to which he lowered his hand from her back down to her waist. Her hands went to his hair, needing to feel him. Their tongues swirled with fervor as her mind spun with desire.

Needing to breathe, she abruptly broke the kiss and exhaled sharply against his chin. His eyes opened slightly and she took the dazed moment from him to lean down and press a kiss to his jawline. He smelled so good, felt so good- she needed to consume him.

Not thinking clearly in the slightest, she trailed hot kisses down towards his ear, making him squirm against her but not push her away. His breath came out in little pants against her ear as she continued her way down his neck to where the collar of his shirt began. She wanted to kiss more of him.

Her hands fell from his hair to his shoulders, and then one dropped to the buttons of his shirt and unfastened the first two, giving her immediate access to the rest of his neck and collarbone.

Her mouth attacked it, tasting him and loving it. He gasped against her, his hand on her hair tightening and holding the strands messily.

“C-Carly-“ he choked out and it only spurred her on, the sound of her name on his mouth encouraging her.

But he pushed her away slightly and she felt disappointed, not wanting to stop- But he surprised her by taking her face into his hands and kissing her hard and fast. She gasped against his mouth and he took advantage, thrusting his tongue into her open mouth and taking advantage of her shock.

She clutched his shoulders tightly, holding herself up as she felt dizzy and unsteady. His hands were warm on her cheeks, keeping her to him and sending fiery sensations through her body and lingering in-between her legs.

When he finally broke, they were panting and she stared blankly at him, unable to think anything past how his eyes were glazed over and his mouth flushed.

Wordlessly, her hands loosened on his shoulders and his hands dropped back to her waist, their highs coming down around them.

Or so she thought.

“M-May I try something?” He asked anxiously, the desire in his eyes not lessening. She breathed harder at his question.

“Okay,” she breathed, a little scared and a little thrilled by him.

His hand dropped from her waist to her thigh and it wasn’t until then that she realized that with her straddling his lap, her dress had risen, exposing her bare legs. His hand felt big, the span of it taking most of her thigh. She sucked in a small breath and he paused, his eyes taking in every part of her reaction.

He was experimenting. This was the scientist in him.

She closed her mouth and tried to compose herself. She wanted to see how far he’d go. Her heartbeat loud in her ears, but she composed herself and gave him an encouraging nod.

Sheldon then moved his empty hand over her other thigh, then proceeded to gently squeeze them and caress, as if never touching legs before.

She tried to control herself, her breathing, her heart- because his eyes were sharp. She stared back at him, trembling slightly- she had never been touched like this before. She felt vulnerable, exposed but at the same time, straddling him with his hands on her bare thighs- so close to the place that ached between them, was invigorating.

He drew in a ragged breath and then leaned forwards, somehow feeling comfortable enough with her response to continuing. He dropped his head on her shoulder and turned his face into her hair. He inhaled her scent then breathed a long exhale, it reaching her neck through her hair.

He removed a hand from her thigh to gently move the strands from her neck and then scooted his mouth up against it, sending electric tingles from where his mouth touched down her body. She shuddered and suddenly realized her breath had quickened loudly in her living room- the only other sound was the low voices of the tv program they had been watching.

His hand fell back down to her thigh and he slid both of them up the sides to her hips, with his mouth opening and pressing hot kisses along her neck and collarbone, any skin he could find.

It was driving her mad with need and she absently pressed herself into him. Normally, when she did this on accident, he would pull away- the magic ending, but instead, it caused him to groan lightly onto her neck. It was the hottest sound she’d ever heard.

His own growing need pushed itself up towards her, letting her know just what she and his actions were doing to him. They were both a mess with arousal.

Mouth still assaulting her neck and drawing ragged breaths out of her into the air around them, his hands slid down over her derrière and grabbed it, pulling her flush against him. His erection jabbed her warm center, his pants, and her cotton underwear the only thing between them.

She gasped in shock, her whole body burning to an almost uncomfortable extent. His breath came out in harsh puffs from his nose, his mouth latching onto the skin at her collarbone with sudden intent. His hands-on her held her to him and his hips moved slightly of their own accord, causing a small whimper to emit from him.

He had lost whatever control he had on himself, she vaguely thought. He was taking the experiment seriously.

Mouth dry and needing to kiss him, she placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back slightly. The look on his face was wild and she saw the lust in his eyes as they regarded her.

The look lasted for not even a second before she attacked his mouth with hers. He returned the passionate kiss with just as much excitement, his hands holding her hips and butt as well as he could as she grabbed the lapels from his blazer to keep him from pulling away.

She rocked her hips into him, needing to feel that friction again now that his mouth was locked on hers. He groaned into her mouth, their noses pressed together harshly. Her hands dropped to his chest, feeling his heartbeat pounding hard. She used what little thought she had to slide her hands under the buttons of his shirt and pull, unfastening a few more, revealing his bare chest to her. Her fingers slid through a slight patch of chest hair and her mind spun, not believing she was touching him, actually touching him-

Then her phone rang.

At the sound, they froze. The familiar melody of her phone continued and she idly recognized what it was. She broke from the kiss and stared mystified at Sheldon as he opened his eyes, the realization of what they had been doing becoming clear on their faces. He licked his red lips, blinking rapidly like coming out of a dream.

“Y-You should get that,” he told her, his voice raspy and full of surprise.

She nodded numbly and moved to get off of him, but his hands on her posterior held her still and she snapped her eyes back to him.

“Oh, sorry-“ he broke off, a little embarrassed, and released her. She was then able to get off of him and she stood on wobbly legs, going to her purse and grabbing her phone just as it was about to stop ringing.

It was her grandmother.

Frowning, feeling imbalanced from what had just happened, she pressed answer and held the phone to her ear.

“H-Hello?” She didn’t recognize her voice and she hoped her grandmother didn’t hear it. That would be an awkward conversation.

“Carly! Oh, thank goodness- I was worried I was going to miss you. Do you think you could come to water my plants for me next weekend? Marge and I have decided to go to the coast to get some sun before the summer is officially over.”

Carly was relieved that she didn’t suspect anything and tried to make herself relax to answer her. “Oh! Yeah of course. I hope you have a good time.”

Her grandma laughed, sounding younger to Carly. “Oh, I will. Well, that’s all I wanted to ask- I gotta get back to my laundry. I love you, darling. Talk to you soon!” And then she hung up before Carly could respond.

It left Carly stunned, standing with her phone to her ear. She rolled her eyes and she dropped her phone back down in her purse, thinking her grandma must be really excited. That was nice-

Then she remembered. She turned and was surprised to see Sheldon standing by her couch, his hair tousled but his shirt buttoned back up. He looked uneasy.

She swallowed down her sudden nerves. “Are you leaving?” Cause he looked like he was leaving.

He glanced to her door and then back at her, but his gaze wouldn’t stay. “Oh- uh, yeah it’s getting late. I need to get changed and be ready for dinner with everyone. Leonard and I were planning on playing some of the Star Wars game tonight before I do my laundry.”

She nodded dumbly, feeling a little disappointed but also relieved. She was still turned on by him and she didn’t think she’d be able to stop herself if he stayed. “Oh, right-“

He nodded in response and then thought of something. Hesitating, he cautiously approached her and she watched him with bated breath.

He looked down at her, his eyes softening. “I had a good time today.”

The awkwardness disappeared and she smiled up at him. “I did too. We should do it again- well, except for the almost duck attack.”

His eyes lifted at the corners, his smile growing. “Agreed...” the word trailed off and he looked conflicted for a moment, maybe thinking of his next move but she beat him to it.

She leaned up and kissed him softly, then dropped back down to her feet, looking up at him with a cheeky grin. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

Sheldon looked awed by her brashness and then collected himself by licking his lips and nodding, relaxing in front of her. “Yes. I’ll see you then- “ he broke off and turned from her, looking forced to do so.

She smiled at his back and followed him to the door, waving at him one last time as he walked away from her - concluding her first date with him.


	14. Chapter 14: Mothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Now, when you said on the phone he broke up with a girl, you meant an actual girl? Not something you kids whipped up in a lab?" - Mary Cooper

Chapter 14: Mothers

  
When Carly entered 4A the evening after her date with Sheldon, she was met with glances thrown in her direction and a bright “Hey!” from Penny.

It was just Leonard, Penny, and Sheldon that night. They were having Italian and she was surprised when Sheldon walked around the counter towards her, now looking like his normal self in khaki pants, a black Harry Potter shirt, with blue long sleeves pushed up to his elbows.

It made her heart flutter a little, remembering what had happened between them just a few short hours ago. She had changed as well into a pair of jeans and a white V-neck t-shirt.

Sheldon held two plates full of spaghetti, salad, and a breadstick. He reached her and handed one over to her with a small smile.

“Thanks, Sheldon,” she told him gratefully and he shrugged, turning around to go to his spot.

“I didn’t want you to have to wait to eat,” he explained and she smiled, following him over to the couch.

She sat down next to him and looked up to see Penny sitting in the armchair and Leonard pulling up the computer chair to eat.

“I heard your date went well,” Penny said with a knowing smirk on her face.

Carly glanced at Sheldon who shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. He caught her eyes and straightened, composing himself.

“I just told her about the park and the Cheesecake Factory,” he told her simply, going back to his spaghetti.

Leonard frowned. “Speaking of which, I thought you guys were going to the aquarium.”

Carly smiled wryly at that. “My lovely boyfriend got us kicked out.”

Penny and Leonard gaped before deciding it wasn’t surprising. “What did you do?” Leonard wondered, almost accusing Sheldon.

Her boyfriend huffed and rolled his eyes. “They were spreading misinformation Leonard, I couldn’t stand for that.”

Penny sighed and shook her head, looking back at her food. “Of course you couldn’t.”

“He was only trying to help,” Carly defended her boyfriend before explaining. “They just couldn’t hear him because they were in the tank, so he tried getting their attention by banging on the glass. It caused a disturbance with the sharks and probably could have turned dangerous, so they called security and had us leave.” Leonard and Penny rolled their eyes at the audacity of him.

Sheldon stiffened next to her. “It wasn’t my wisest moment.”

Carly smiled at him, putting him at ease. “It’s all right Sheldon. I think our day was just as amazing, if not more.”

Leonard shook his head, glancing between the two in awe. “Sheldon, don’t let her go.”

Sheldon frowned in confusion as Carly blushed and smiled, looking down at her plate, flattered. “Don’t let her go where?”

Penny laughed. “Oh Shelly, you’re such a dork.”

Still confused, Sheldon looked to Carly for help but she just gave him a grin, then ate her dinner happily.

As they were cleaning up, Carly helped dry the dishes that Leonard washed and Penny wiped down the counter, as Sheldon neatly folded the table cloth for their coffee table and put it away.

Afterward, Sheldon approached them all. “I spoke to my mother earlier this evening and good news, she will be coming to visit this weekend.”

All three looked over at him with the announcment. Carly’s heart jumped. His mother?

“Oh really? That’s awesome! I miss your mom,” Penny said wistfully as Leonard approached Sheldon.

“How long is she staying?”

“She’s flying in Saturday morning and will be leaving Monday. She’s getting a hotel,” he told them all and his eyes trailed over to Carly who was biting her lip with anxiety.

She didn’t notice the way his eyes lingered on her mouth for a moment, a flash of what had happened between them at her apartment going across his mind. “Carly, she’s looking forward to meeting you. Something about, wanting to see who finally caught the interest of her little boy.” He rolled his eyes for effect.

Carly blushed as if his mother was already there and looked away for a moment, putting the last plate away in the cupboard. “I have to work that day and water my Grandmother’s plants while she’s away but I’ll swing by and meet her,” she told him with a smile.

Sheldon tilted his head slightly. “Your Mee-Maw’s going out of town? Where?”

She shrugged, walking over to his side. “I’m not sure, somewhere by the beach with her friend. They’ll be back Sunday night.”

Sheldon suddenly thought of something. “Oh, that’s who called earlier, wasn’t it? When we were-“ he stopped himself and she panicked, glancing at Leonard and Penny who weren’t paying attention.

“Yeah it was,” she said softly, their eyes catching and holding a mutual memory. Her cheeks burned under his gaze and he licked his lips nervously. If they had been alone, she wondered if he would have kissed her again.

“Well I should get going,” Carly told them, giving the other couple a wave. “Thank you for dinner, like always.”

Penny and Leonard smiled at her, the latter waving her off. “Don’t worry about it.”

Sheldon walked her to the door and he opened it. She lingered in the doorway and looked up at him, wishing she could stay with him forever. Maybe one day.

“I’ll see you downstairs for laundry at 8:15,” she said with a smile.

He returned the smile. “Of course.”

oO0Oo

The week came and went and with it the anxiety over meeting Sheldon’s mother. Sheldon had filled her in on multiple occasions on how religious she was and how smitten she was over him. She was worried that the standard for her youngest son would be too high and she wouldn’t be able to live up to it.

She just hoped she’d approve of her.

Sheldon had texted her that morning around eleven that he and Leonard had picked his mother up from the airport. Carly had made plans to come over as Sheldon had told her his mother was going to be making them a home-cooked meal that he was looking forward to.

Carly took her time getting ready, deciding to wear something from her old wardrobe: a blue cotton dress that reached just past her knees and threw a white knit sweater over the top. She donned flats and straightened her hair to look perfect- but decided not to wear makeup. She worried that she’d look like she was trying too hard and didn’t want to leave that impression on Mrs. Cooper.

When she couldn’t wait any longer, she headed up to 4A, her stomach in nervous knots. She had only knocked once before the door swung open and there stood Sheldon as if he had been waiting all day in that spot for her to come.

His smile was bright when he saw her and she couldn’t help but return it. He looked lighter than he normally did. He must love his mother very much.

“Carly! I’m so glad you’re here! This is my-“ Sheldon’s introduction was cut off by a small framed, brown-haired woman, who moved past her son and grabbed Carly into a warm embrace.

She idly heard Sheldon huff beside her and the door to his apartment click shut, as she was engulfed by Mary Cooper.

"Oh, honey! You are just beautiful! Shelly's description of you didn't do you justice," Mrs. Cooper's Texan accented voice spoke into Carly's ear before pulling away to look at her from arm's length.

"Thank you," Carly mumbled, glancing down uncomfortably at the floor and away from Mrs. Cooper's blue eyes that were the replica of Sheldon's.

"Excuse me, I told you exactly how she looked. Down to the last freckle on her nose," Sheldon defended himself seriously, trying to pull his girlfriend back to him by grabbing her hand and tugging her away, obviously irritated with his mom hogging Carly.

Mrs. Cooper rolled her eyes but smiled all the same at her son. "Yes, yes dear," she said dismissively while grabbing Carly back from him and pulling her to the couch, careful to not sit either of them in Sheldon's spot.

"Now Carly," she began, making the younger woman gulp from the sound of her voice. Was this the beginning of the interrogation? "Shelly tells me you're a librarian, yes?"

Carly nodded, forcing a smile onto her face and stifling an exhale of breath. “Yes ma'am."

"Oh no, don't be so formal hun. Call me Mary," Mary said, looking around the room absently. "Everyone else does." She smiled in response to Carly's nod and then proceeded. "Now did you go to university?"

"Yes," Carly answered before elaborating and trying to appeal to her. "I have my master's in library science.”

“I didn’t know you could be a library scientist,” Mary told her, awed. “No wonder Shelly’s with you.”

Carly felt horribly awkward and shook her head to correct her, but Sheldon beat her to it.

“Library science, mother, is an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education, and other areas to libraries; the collection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information resources; and the political economy of information.”

Mary stared blankly at her son for a moment before smiling gently at Carly. “Sounds like a scientist to me.”

Carly glanced to her boyfriend who rolled his eyes with a scoff, turning around to help Leonard and Penny in the kitchen. She could see there were oceans between him and his mother’s ability to understand what he said.

Carly smiled back at Mary. “I work in the Pasadena library.”

Mary grinned, patting Carly's leg affectionately. “That’s exciting. I love going to the library.” Then she took on a different tone, her eyebrows furrowing. “How old are you, dear?"

Carly suddenly felt more bashful at the question and she glanced in the direction of Sheldon who was attempting to contain himself in the kitchenette. Carly quickly looked back at his mother with her reply, “Twenty-five."

"Five years difference, that isn't so bad. We have someone at my church that is fourteen years apart from his wife. Lovely couple," Mary told her before getting rather serious. "Now dear, do you believe in God?”

Carly had expected this question and so she smiled, ready to give her answer. “I grew up Christian, so yes ma’am, I do.”

She didn't elaborate that she didn't go to church anymore since she wasn't underneath her grandmother's thumb. Or that she wasn’t an overly religious person.

"Oh, how wonderful! Maybe you'll spread some light on ole Shelly over there," Mary said joyously, her blue eyes sparkling. Carly highly doubted anything pertaining to religion would change Sheldon's way of thinking. “Well, it was just wonderful to meet you. Good Lord, I have been wishing for this day Shelly's whole life. It just proves that God can work miracles!"

"Mother, aren't we going to eat?" Sheldon interjected, appearing in front of the coffee table and looking down at her expectantly. Carly couldn't have been happier from the interruption. She liked Mrs. Cooper just fine but she was breathless from the interview.

"Yes Shelly, now stop being so impatient," she said sternly, standing and patting down the wrinkles in her floral dress. Carly went to stand as well but was quickly pushed back down by Mary. "No, no. You sit. A gentleman always brings his lady a plate, don't they Shelly?" she smiled down at Carly before looking up at her son through narrowed eyes.

“You don’t have to tell me, mom, I do it all the time,” he stated in annoyance, before walking over to grab two plates.

Carly bit her lip before speaking up. "Oh it's all right, I can get it myself," she said with a hopeful smile up at Mary, but the woman turned her pointed stare on her and Carly sat back down silently.

She decided quickly that she didn't want to mess with Mary Cooper. She vaguely reminded her of her grandmother.

Soon they were all seated around the coffee table and eating a home-cooked meal that consisted of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and roasted green beans. It tasted wonderful. Mary was an outstanding cook. She now knew why Sheldon had been excited about her cooking.

“You know, I will have to send you some of my recipes through email. Sheldon just loves a home-cooked meal. You do cook, don't you?"

Carly looked up at Mary, realizing she was speaking to her. She quickly swallowed her food before answering politely. "Yes, I do. My grandmother taught me a lot of her recipes growing up," she nodded while casting a glance at Sheldon who was enthusiastically enjoying his meal.

"Oh, that's good. That's where I learned most of my recipes, my mother and her mother," Mary spoke after eating a bite. "Well here's an idea!" she said suddenly smiling. "How 'bouts you and Shelly here come down to Texas and meet the family for Christmas?”

Carly’s stomach flopped at the suggestion. Did this mean she had passed the test for her son? Sheldon on the other hand looked appalled.

"Mom! You know we can't go down there..." he replied, sounding more afraid of going to church every Sunday and Wednesday than anything else. "We have work and I highly doubt Carly would want to spend her time in a stuffy old church.”

Carly quickly interjected, not wanting Mary to think that because she didn’t want to offend the lady- “No, please don’t say that Sheldon. I don’t mind visiting, but it’s up to Sheldon.”

Mary smiled gently at Carly before looking to Sheldon expectantly. He pressed his lips together in exasperation and gave his mother an annoyed look. It was apparent that Sheldon didn’t want to and he was very stubborn.

“We’ll come back to it,” Mary said with a wave of her hand, knowing her son well.

She looked over at Bernadette and Howard who were watching the ideal with idle interest while they ate. “So, how are the wedding plans going?”

That distracted Mary from Carly and Sheldon for a little while, happily talking with the engaged couple about their upcoming wedding and how come she hadn't been invited yet.

Soon they were all finished with their meals, the talk of visiting Texas for Christmas wasn’t spoken about again, and they all helped clean up after dinner. Bernadette, Howard, and Raj left together after saying goodbye, and Carly knew she should get going as well if she wanted to make it to her grandmother's house before it got too late.

She helped Mary fold the table cloth neatly and Carly put it where it belonged before she turned to Sheldon, who was finishing the dishes with Leonard.

“I’m sorry to cut the evening short, but I need to go water my grandma’s plants before it gets too late-“

Sheldon snapped his gaze over to her, looking put out by the sudden need to leave. “Aw, can’t you stay longer?” He said in a childlike voice that made her heart speed up and a smile reach her face.

“Unfortunately not. I’ll have to skip on doing laundry tonight as well,” she told him regretfully and that made him even more depressed looking.

“But you can’t! It’s laundry night,” he complained and she bit her lip, feeling guilty.

“Sheldon, she has responsibilities to her grandmother,” Mary cut in, giving him a stern look. He softened his expression and looked away, reluctantly. Mary then placed a hand on Carly’s shoulder, bringing her attention to the older woman. “Do you mind if I catch a ride with you to my hotel? It’s not far from here.”

Carly gulped. A car ride alone with Sheldon’s mother? She felt anxious all over again but she couldn’t say no. “Of course,” she said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Mary brightened and walked over to the couch where her jacket and purse were laying. “Perfect! I’ll grab my things.”

“Now hang on,” Sheldon said, coming to Carly’s side instantaneously. “I want to go too.”

Mary smiled at him. “That’d be great, sweet pea. Go grab your jacket.”

Sheldon grinned from his mother to Carly, who felt immense relief to not be completely alone and went to the closet to grab his jacket.

It was then, a few minutes later, she drove off in her car with Sheldon in her backseat and Mary in her passenger.

“Thank you for giving me a ride, sweetheart. I appreciate it,” Mary told her after a moment of driving.

Carly did like Mary Cooper. She was sweet and thoughtful. She also seemed to like her which was such a weight lifted.

She threw Mary a smile. “It’s not a problem. The Marriott is on the way anyway, so it really works out.”

“That’s great,” Mary commented and then directed her question to Sheldon who was being rather silent. “Are you still not going with us to take a tour of Beverly Hills tomorrow, Shelly?”

Carly frowned. She hadn’t known they were doing anything the next day. Sheldon hadn’t mentioned it.

“No, mother. I have no interest rallying around California looking at pointless architecture and wax figures,” Sheldon told her, sounding irritated. “I worked all night, coming up with a couple of Q’s to stump Saul Perlmutter’s sorry A for us to laugh at together, and here I find that you’d rather go off with my friends.”

Carly bit her lip, staring ahead at the road silently, as Mary took a breath.

“Well, I’m sorry Shelly, I didn’t fly all the way here just to sit in a dusty lecture hall with you like I did when you were a kid. I want to go sightseein’,” she told him simply, crossing her arms over her purse in her lap. “Say, Carly- would you like to come with us? Give us a chance to get to know each other better.”

“Don’t you bring my girlfriend into this, mother! She’s on my side,” Sheldon heatedly retorted.

Carly felt backed into a corner and she silently wished that she had declined the offer to bring Mary and Sheldon with her.

“I’m sorry, I am quite busy tomorrow. Perhaps another time,” Carly told Mary, sounding regretful. She didn’t want to be in the middle of that.

“Busy? With what? The library’s closed on Sundays,” Sheldon called her out, confused and she briefly shut her eyes in annoyance. He just couldn’t take the hint.

“I have some paperwork to do and organizing that’ll need to be done by Monday,” she explained, not truly lying but it wouldn’t take her all day to do. Probably thirty minutes if that, but neither of them needed to know.

“It’s fine, dear. I’m just glad to have been able to meet you while I was here,” Mary told her sweetly. “Sheldon sure seems different with you around.”

“I am not different- I just have a girlfriend now,” Sheldon corrected, grumpily. “Everything else is essentially the same.”

Thankfully, Carly was pulling up on the hotel and she took a deep breath as she did so.

Mary unbuckled her seatbelt as Carly stopped by the front doors. She looked over at her with a smile. “Please think about Christmas. We’d love to have you both.”

Carly couldn’t help but give her a nod with a smile. “Of course.”

Sheldon scowled and got out of the car, while Mary sighed and climbed out. With all the doors closed, she could hear their muffling voices arguing. Carly took a deep breath. Did they always argue like that?

Mary left him to enter the hotel and Sheldon swung open the passenger door and climbed inside.

“She is impossible,” he immediately began ranting as he shut the door and buckled up. “She comes out here to see me and doesn’t even want to spend time with me.”

Carly bit her lip and drove off. “I’m sure it’s just because she is excited to come to California. My Aunt from Wisconsin visited a few years back and spent most of her time at Disneyland with her two kids. It was sort of a let down because I barely saw her, but they had such a good time I didn’t want to complain.”

Sheldon huffed. “But she’s my mother. Not everyone else’s. Even tonight, I had to beg her to make dinner for us. Leonard already had convinced her to get sushi for lunch, and Penny suggested we go out for dinner. I put a stop to that immediately- it’s just... I thought her visit would be different,” he explained lowly and she felt her heartache for him.

“I’m sorry Sheldon.” She then remembered what he had said before. “You wanted to go to a lecture with your mom tomorrow? Do you want me to go?”

She had absolutely no idea who the man was that was lecturing but Sheldon had seemed to be excited about it. Perhaps it would be fine.

Sheldon gave her a confused frown. “I thought you were busy?”

Carly sighed, realizing she was called out. “I do have paperwork and stuff but I can move my schedule around so I can go with you if you want.”

Sheldon slumped in the seat. “No, you don’t have to do that.”

Carly gave him a sidelong look, seeing how miserable he was. “I’m sorry, Sheldon,” she told him again and he shook his head.

“Don’t be.”

They drove in silence the rest of the way to her grandmother's house and she wondered if he’d be okay. When he got upset, he tended to make a big show of it.

He followed her into the house and looked around curiously. “This is nice. It reminds me of my Mee-Maw’s house,” he commented and then picked up a little ceramic angel from a shelf. “Hey, my Mee-Maw has this same angel!”

Carly smiled at his enthusiasm as she went to work on watering the plants around the house. Her grandmother took really good care of them and she didn’t want to be the reason any of them wilted.

“I liked your mom though, all things considered,” she told him idly, glancing over at him as he continued to peer around.

“She is amazing,” he told her earnestly, a fondness to his voice. “She liked you too, I could tell.”

Carly smiled, happy that was the case. She sat the watering can down on the kitchen table and approached Sheldon.

“I think you should spend time with your mom tomorrow, Sheldon. I think she’d appreciate it,” she told him.

His eyes hardened and he turned away from her. “No, I stand by my statement.”

She frowned at his back, thinking he’d regret it. “Very well,” she told him, dropping the subject for good. “Let’s go.”

Sheldon nodded and followed her out. She locked up the house and they got back into the car to drive back to Pasadena.

“So speaking of the holidays, I was wondering if maybe you’d like to come to Thanksgiving at my Grandma’s house. She is dying to meet you,” Carly said, hope in her voice. She was a little nervous given the circumstances that night with his mother.

Sheldon froze under her gaze and he looked over at her uneasily. “But I usually have Thanksgiving with my friends.”

Carly’s hope faltered. Perhaps she should have asked at a different time. He was being rather stubborn at the moment about everything.

“I know, it’s just she wants to meet you and she’s the only family I have so... I thought maybe-“ she broke off, feeling awkward now that she said it all aloud.

Sheldon sighed. “You’re right. I should go., but you’ll have to break the news to Leonard. He’ll be miserable without me there for the sparkling conversation and copious amounts of pilgrim facts."

Carly’s heart soared with excitement that he’d agreed to go, but she doubted Sheldon’s words about Leonard. Something told her that Sheldon wouldn’t be too missed by their friends.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” she reassured him. “It’s only one Thanksgiving.”

Sheldon nodded after considering it. “True.”

When they returned to the apartment building, Carly and Sheldon walked side by side up the stairs. It was eight-thirty.

Carly looked over at Sheldon regretfully. “I’m sorry we missed laundry night.”

Sheldon glanced at her and shrugged. “We didn’t fully. I still intend to do my laundry tonight. It’s only fifteen minutes past,” he assured her and she raised her eyebrows, surprised by the mature response.

“Would you like me to join you?” She asked him, her hand finding his as they walked through the first landing.

He gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand lightly. “If you’d like to.”

She smiled back. “I would like that very much.”

Sheldon's smile turned sheepish. “Look at me. Holding hands with my girlfriend and doing laundry fifteen minutes late. What a night,” he chuckled, rolling his eyes with a grin.

Carly laughed lightly at him. He was so cute. She was glad he was in a better mood.

He left her at her apartment to gather her clothing and met him down at the laundry room a few minutes later.

As they put their clothes in their respective washers, Sheldon turned to her suddenly. “I’ve changed my mind.”

Carly paused as she slid quarters into her machine and looked up at him. “About what?”

He smiled at her. “About not wanting you to go to the lecture. If my mother won’t come with me, I’d like it if my girlfriend came.”

Carly’s heart melted and she gave him a hopeful smile. “Really?”

He nodded enthusiastically. “Positive.”

“Okay then. Just tell me when and I’ll be ready.”

He grinned. “I’ll be at your apartment at 8 am sharp.”

8 am? So much for sleeping in, she thought idly. He turned to his washer and turned it on, looking happier than he had all night. He was so handsome.

She reached over to him before he could leave the washer and took his forearm, bare with his long sleeve pushed up to his elbows.

Her touch startled him and he visibly jumped, looking at her in surprise. She just smiled up at him, feeling so lucky to have him as her boyfriend, not for the first time.

“You’re wonderful, you know that?”

The compliment made him blush and she thought that it was the first time she had seen his face red. It made him look younger. His eyes looked down briefly, embarrassed. “I agree with you... but for whimsy’s sake, what makes you say that?”

She grinned at his ego and then shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I? You’ve completely altered your life to fit me into it. You’re experimenting with me in ways you’ve never have with anyone else. I met your mother today... and I don’t think I could ever express to you in words how much you mean to me.”

She didn’t know what had brought on this sudden soul confession to him but she welcomed it. She wanted him to know exactly how she felt about him, even if she wasn’t the best with words.

He looked stunned and he stared down at her for a long moment, processing her words. “Thank you,” he told her, licking his lips nervously. “You mean a lot to me as well.”

Carly smiled at him softly, releasing his arm. “I’m glad.” She turned then, grabbing her basket, intent on going back upstairs but she was suddenly spun around by him and engulfed in a tight hug.

Surprised was an understatement. He didn’t give many hugs and each one he’d given her was special to her heart, and this one she knew, would be the dearest.

His arm wrapped around her, one of his hands at her head, holding her cheek to his chest. “I love you,” he told her quietly in her ear, a voice full of emotion, and it sent her heart racing in her chest wildly. He didn’t often allow himself to speak like that to her.

“I love you too, Sheldon,” she murmured into his shirt, wishing to be in his arms forever.

oO0Oo

Carly had been thoroughly surprised by Sheldon who had made a tremendous show of making the Nobel Prize winner Saul Perlmutter look like a fool at the lecture.

Sheldon seemed rather proud of himself as they left to get brunch at a restaurant down the block after he had done enough research on it to deem it safe to eat from.

“Ah, I still can’t get the look on his face out of my head when I asked him that last one,” Sheldon laughed to himself, as they waited for their food to be sent out to them. “It was a real zinger, wouldn’t you agree?”

Carly chuckled, rolling her eyes behind her mug of coffee. “He didn’t see it coming.”

Sheldon snickered happily. “No, he didn’t!” She then watched his smile fall with a sudden thought and she frowned. “I wish my mother had been there. She always came with me as a child, it would have been nice to do it again.”

Carly suddenly realized why Sheldon had been so upset by his mother choosing to not spend the day with him doing the things he wanted to do. Sheldon was trying to relive his fondest memories with her.

From what she knew of Sheldon, he had grown up rather quickly. He’d graduated high school by the age of eleven and was off to college soon after. He hadn’t been able to be a child for very long and she didn’t blame him for wanting to make up for lost time now that he was an adult.

She knew that if her mother was there with her, she’d feel the same way.

She looked down at her mug of coffee, her hands sliding around it thoughtfully. She wouldn’t dare bring it up with him, though, he would only deny it.

But she knew, and she felt bad for him. She was surprised his mother, who had said knew him the best, hadn’t noticed. Or if she had, had chosen not to do anything about it.

She suddenly felt glad that she had decided to go with him. Perhaps they could make their own memories.

Sheldon ate his french toast and Carly ate her waffles, wondering what else they could do that day that would help him forget about his mother ditching on him.

As they neared the end of their meal, she proposed an idea to him. “Wanna go to the train store?”

His eyes lit up at the suggestion, but then he paused. “Wait, why all of a sudden?” He asked suspiciously.

She shrugged smiling at him. “I haven’t been in a while. I was wondering if they had any new ones.”

That got him started and he didn’t quit talking until she had turned her car off in front of the model train store. Even then, it was only for a few beats as they got out of the car. As soon as they entered the store, she had no choice but to follow him around and listen to all of his enthusiastic information on every item in the store.

“I bet you didn’t see this one last time you were here!” He would say and her heart grew and grew, happy with herself. He was far from the miserable son he had been the night before.

She stopped to get them milkshakes on the way back, much to his delight, and was on a high -

Right up until a rock flew at her window from the road and smashed through her windshield, causing her and Sheldon to scream in fright as the rock, no bigger than a golf ball landed past them and into her backseat.

She stopped the car, on the side of the road, absolutely terrified. “Holy crap,” she panted, before looking over at her horrified boyfriend.

“That could have killed me!” He said in a high voice, his milkshake frozen in his hand, the happiness between them forgotten. “I'm going to be sending the city of Pasadena an official complaint! There shouldn’t large rocks like that on the road!”

Carly stared at the hole in her window, the rest of it speckled with spiderwebby shards and looking as if would shatter if poked. “There’s no way I can drive us home like this, I’m going to have to call a tow truck,” she told him, dread set in.

Sheldon looked even more horrorstruck but didn’t say anything else as she pulled her phone out and dialed.

Fifteen minutes later, they were standing on the sidewalk with their belongings, staring as her car disappeared around the corner on a tow truck, with the promise she’d get it back in two days.

“Now what do we do?” Sheldon asked her, upset still. She was too, it was going to cost a lot of money to get the windshield replaced and she hoped that her insurance could cover it.

“I’ll call Penny and see if she can pick us up,” Carly told him and Sheldon nodded.

“Good idea, I’ll try Leonard.”

There was no answer from either of their friends.

“Well that’s just great,” Sheldon groaned.

“I guess we’ll have to take the bus,” she told him gloomily.

He snapped his eyes down at her, even more, horrified by the days' events. She winced. If there was one thing he hated more than birds, it was the bus- full of germs and the like.

“But I didn’t bring my bus pants!”

Carly bit her lip and peered around the street. “I think we’re about thirty minutes away from the apartment if we walk.”

Sheldon thought about it for a moment and then sighed dramatically. “I suppose I’d rather walk than ride the bus. I’m in no mood to get sick.”

Carly nodded in agreement, relieved that she had worn sneakers. She watched her boyfriend give his milkshake still in his hand a look of disgust before dropping it into a trash can by the sidewalk. She had left hers in the car and was slightly horrified of what it would be like when she got her car back.

Sighing and not in a good mood either, she began walking with Sheldon down the sidewalk as the wind picked up and blew her hair around her face.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “This has been an eventful day,” she mused and he glanced at her ruefully.

“It began just fine, it’s the ending that is questionable,” he replied bitterly.

Just then, raindrops began to sprinkle down on them and she looked up at the sky, the clouds gathering above them. “Oh great,” she muttered.

Sheldon looked over at her quickly, “Do you have your umbrella?”

She grabbed her purse and pulled it out, before opening it. She handed it to Sheldon who was taller. The rain picked up as she walked with him, it hitting her in the face like little cold pokes.

“You’re getting wet,” he told her, and grabbed her arm, pulling her closer to him so they could properly share the umbrella.

She was engulfed by his side and they walked awkwardly down the sidewalk. She sort of wished she had convinced him to take the bus, but she figured that the day couldn’t be any worse than it was-

That is until a gust of wind took them by surprise and sent the umbrella flying out of Sheldon’s hands and into the street where a car swerved to avoid hitting it.

Both getting soaked in the downpour, they stared, stunned, at the umbrella. Carly sighed in despair, “I’ll go get it before it causes a traffic accident-“

She made to move for it, but Sheldon grabbed her arm. “No, it’s too dangerous.”

Carly looked up at him as droplets held his hair to his forehead and slid down his cheeks. “I can’t just leave it there.”

Sheldon glanced over at the umbrella and suddenly got a determined look on his face. “I’ll get it.” He left her there to watch him in surprise as he carefully, and cautiously avoided cars and quickly snatched up the umbrella.

He full-on ran back to her and exhaled harshly, obviously relieved to be done with it. “H-Here!” He breathlessly handed the umbrella over to her but she realized as she eyed it that it had broken.

Of course, it had.

Sheldon noticed it too and he groaned. “I did that for nothing?”

Carly gave him a sad smile and then turned, folding the umbrella back up as best as she could. “Let’s just keep moving.”

By the time they had reached the apartment building, they were both sneezing and feeling warm in their faces, despite the cold from the rain. Carly didn’t want to alarm him by telling him that she felt the same.

Upon arriving at his apartment, where he had told her he’d make them tea to warm up, the others were already there and congregated around the coffee table.

Mary was to their sides immediately. “Oh dear lord! What happened to you two?!”

“Umbrella broke,” Sheldon mumbled drearily, gesturing to the useless object in Carly’s hand.

“And a rock broke my windshield. I had to have my car towed and so we had to walk home,” Carly explained further and heard them all gasp.

“Oh, you poor dears! You’re absolutely soaked through,” Mary frowned at them, then put hands on their foreheads. “You both are burning up. Sheldon, come with me and get out of those wet clothes. Penny, sweetie, be a dear and help Carly down to her apartment to get changed.”

Carly was feeling far too woozy to protest and let Penny pull her back out of the apartment and down the flights of stairs to her own before she and Sheldon could even say goodbye.

“You should have called one of us to pick you up!” Penny told her, worried beyond belief as she helped Carly into her living room and towards her bedroom.

Carly sneezed and then sniffed. “We tried,” she told her, sounding rather nasally. “You and Leonard wouldn’t pick up.”

Penny grimaced. “I’m sorry, Carl’s. I didn’t realize. We were so busy with Mrs. Cooper.”

“S’fine,” she said with a shrug and went to her dresser to grab comfortable pajamas. Penny left the room as she changed and then when she was done, met her with a towel for her hair. “Thank you.”

Penny gave her a sad smile. “Of course. I’ll make you some tea, go sit down with your blanket.”

Carly did as she was told but felt embarrassed that she was being taken care of like a child. Huddling under her blanket on the couch, she gave Penny an apologetic look. “You don’t have to do this,” she told her honestly. “I can take care of myself.”

Penny gave her a smile over the top of Carly’s kettle she placed on the stove. “I know you can, Carls- but there’s nothing wrong with receiving help every once in a while. Let me baby you,” Penny teased with a small laugh and Carly smiled, feeling better already.

“Besides!” Penny continued, walking over to her to sit on the arm of the couch while the water heated, “I’ve taken care of your boyfriend a million times when he’s sick. I’m a pro by now.”

Carly couldn’t help but feel a little jealous over the fact that Penny had taken care of her boyfriend in such a way and that he had seen her naked. She looked down from the thought, studying her blanket in feverish silence.

Penny noticed the change and frowned over at her. “Are you all right?”

Carly swallowed thickly, closing her eyes for a moment, and then looked over at her. “I’m envious over the fact that you’ve known Sheldon for so much longer than me... that you’ve cared for him in ways that I haven’t...” she looked down at the blanket again. “That’s dumb isn’t it?”

Penny laughed, not offended in the slightest. “Just wait till you have to take care of him when he’s sick- you’ll change your mind about being jealous.” Then she slid off the arm of the couch and gave Carly a serious look. “There’s no reason to be jealous though, Carly. He and I are friends. Plus, up until you, I didn’t even think he had hormones- so it’s not like it would have even been an option for us. He just enjoys being taken care of- kind of like a puppy.”

Carly bit her lip and nodded, feeling foolish. “I know this, it’s just I can’t help but feel like you two have a bond that I just don’t have with him.”

Penny’s face screwed up. “Thank god for that. No, seriously. You two have a much deeper bond than he and I do. I’m like... his mother. And you’re his girlfriend. There’s a huge difference. And hey! Who’s to say he won’t come for you the next time he’s sick.”

That reminded her of Sheldon currently feeling just as miserable as she did, up with his mother. He probably was enjoying the attention, she thought. “He misses his mom and spending time with her. That’s why he made such a big deal about you all going without him.”

Penny sighed. “Yeah, I figured. He has a funny way of showing it.”

Carly couldn’t disagree with that. The kettle began whistling and Penny stood to retrieve it, returning moments later with a mug of tea for Carly.

She took it appreciatively. “Thank you, Penny.”

Penny smiled. “Always. You’re my best friend... just don’t tell Bernie that. She’d revoke my maid of honors.”

Carly chuckled at the statement but was extremely happy with the news. Best friends? This must be what it felt like to have one. She’d have to make sure to return the favor if Penny ever needed it.

After a few minutes of idle chatter about their days, Penny finally left Carly to get some sleep and feel better. Alone in her apartment, she slid down on her couch and lay on her side, curled up under her blanket.

Her car was in the shop, she felt horrible, she never had finished the paperwork she’d needed to do, and she had to work the next day.

After a few minutes of stressing, Carly heard her phone ring. She sat up and grabbed it from her purse that had been sat down by Penny on her coffee table.

She checked the ID and saw it was Sheldon. Worried about him, she answered. “Sheldon! Are you okay?”

“Feverish, but I’ll be okay. How are you?” He sounded concerned and she sighed, feeling better that she heard his voice. “I didn’t get to say goodbye.”

“I’m all right. Penny made me some tea and I’m just cuddled with a blanket,” she told him honestly, curling up again on her couch while holding the phone to her ear. “I’m sorry we had to walk in the rain.”

“There’s no reason for you to apologize. It’s not like any of it was your fault. Besides, we’re lucky to be alive after that rock broke through the window. If anything, we’re war heroes.”

She laughed lightly, smiling to herself. “Perhaps... is your mom still there?”

“No, she left a little bit ago after rubbing vapor rub on my chest and singing soft kitty to me.”

“Soft kitty?” She wondered aloud.

“Yes, my mother always sings me soft kitty when I’m sick. Penny has too, although half the time I have to argue with her to do it properly.”

Carly remembered the conversation from before with her friend, feeling small as she attempted to stop her jealousy. “Maybe I’ll sing it for you one day.”

Sheldon was quiet for a moment. “Do you know soft kitty?”

“No, but you could teach me.”

“I suppose I could. Should I sing it for you now since you’re sick too?” He sounded serious.

Carly bit her lip, laying her head down on her couch. She wished she could cuddle him. “That’d be nice.”

And so, without further ado, he sang it softly to her over the phone and she relaxed into her blanket, pulling it up to her mouth to hide her smile. She loved him so much.

When he was done and she didn’t say anything in response, he called her name. “Are you still awake?”

“Yes, I am. Thank you for singing it for me,” she told him, her heart full. She closed her eyes, feeling tired.

“Always,” he told her. “Well, when you’re sick.”

“I love you,” she mumbled out and she heard him breathe heavily at the words.

“I know. Get some sleep you feverish hippy, before you get all mushy on me.”

She grinned despite herself. “You too, feverish hippy.”

“I’m offended, but... goodnight Carly.”

“G’night Sheldon.”

She passed out at some point, calm now that she had talked to Sheldon, hoping she’d feel better in the morning.

Little did she know that her life would soon be turned upside down.


	15. Chapter 15: Too Much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm not running away. I'm just getting on a train and leaving forever."- Sheldon

Chapter 15: Too Much  
  


"Do you think he’ll be mad that we’re surprising him?” Carly asked Penny in worry as they entered Caltech around two that afternoon. “He hates surprises. It’s why I’m not allowed to know when his birthday is.” 

Penny shrugged, leading her down hallways with purpose. She’d obviously been there many times. “He’ll get over it and if not, I’ll make him. His girlfriend is here to have lunch with him, he better appreciate it.”

Still, Carly felt uncertain. She knew Sheldon. However, hope that he’d be happy to see her kept her following Penny.

It was a week after they’d been caught in the rain. Her car, which had been promised back to her in two days, ended up being seven. Apparently, the shop, where her car was, ordered the wrong size windshield. The only good thing that came of it was that her insurance covered the expenses and Penny was willing to give her rides.

Moreover, there had been a surprise shipment in at her work and she had been pulling doubles to get everything scanned, sorted, and put away. It was exhausting and she had barely seen Sheldon, save for the couple dinners she’d been able to squeeze in throughout the week.

She missed him. The memory of the day they had spent together, regardless of the car and the rain, made her long for him. It was maddening.

So when things settled down at her work and Penny suggested they have lunch with the guys, she took her up on the offer. She needed to see him.

What felt like no time at all, Penny stopped and knocked on a door labeled “Dr. Sheldon Cooper, Particle Physicist”. Upon seeing it, Carly’s stomach flopped.

“Come in,” his melodic voice said from behind the door and Penny threw Carly an encouraging grin before opening the door.

The first thing she saw was whiteboards with complicated math equations written all over them. They looked similar to the ones he had in his apartment.

“Penny? Carly?” Sheldon called in surprise, standing from his desk and walking around it to greet them. “What are you two doing here?” His eyes lingered on Carly’s nervous smile.

“We wanted to surprise you and have lunch if that’s okay?” She explained followed by uncertainty.

Penny scoffed and waved her off. “Of course it’s okay! Right, Sheldon?”

Sheldon eyed Penny’s meaningful look, unable to understand why she was looking at him like that. Was he missing something? He glanced to Carly who was looking around his office with interest, biting her lip. “Uh, yes?”

Penny grinned and his girlfriend looked up at him with a smile. He must have said the right thing.

“See Carly! Nothing to worry about!” Penny told her, to which Sheldon’s frown deepened.

“What would there be to worry about?”

Carly shrugged lightly at him, further baffling him. “Nothing, are you free to go to lunch?”

Sheldon looked up at the clock, deciding to let whatever she was worried about go. “Yes, it’s lunchtime. Let’s go.”

Penny fondly patted Sheldon on the shoulder, making him tense, but he just glanced at her as she moved away and left the office. “I’m gonna go get Leonard. I’ll catch up with you two.”

Carly hadn’t been expecting to be left alone with Sheldon so suddenly and she looked over at him as Penny disappeared around the corner. “I’m happy to see you.”

He looked over at her, his eyes softening. “It’s nice to see you too, Carly.” It gave her flutters in her belly and she smiled. “How is the library?”

Carly bit her lip, following him out of the office. “It’s better, thankfully. I’m pretty exhausted.”

At the declaration, Sheldon looked at her again, this time assessing the dark circles under her eyes and the way her hair was thrown into a messy knot at the base of her head. Strands were escaping and framing her face.

She did look tired, but she still looked so pretty to him.

“Perhaps you should head home and get some rest then?” He suggested thoughtfully and she surprised him by taking his hand as they walked down the hallway.

“I’d rather be with you,” she told him honestly. “I feel like I haven’t seen you.”

“You saw me last night at dinner,” he reminded her and she laughed lightly.

“That is true, but I meant... we haven’t spent quality time together since that Sunday.”

“Speaking of that, have you heard any word about your car?”

She shook her head, agitated by the thought. “No. They told me to give them till Friday.”

“That’s ridiculous. It’s Thursday and you haven’t heard a word from them? Do you want me to call?”

The sudden look on his face made her wonder if she should. He definitely would kick them into high gear she thought. Sheldon was an expert at complaining.

Thinking better of it, she shook her head again. “No, it’s all right. If they don’t call by noon tomorrow, I’ll have Penny take me over there.”

Sheldon nodded, respecting her decision. “I’m glad you came,” he told her suddenly and she looked up at him in surprise. He darted his gaze away from the attention to his honest confession.

He didn’t know why he had told her that, but as soon as she had appeared in his office, his heart had sped up and his heart had swelled.

He had missed her as well. Carly hadn’t even been able to text him while she was working. It had been a stressful week for both of them.

“Me too,” she told him softly. “How is your work going?”

Ah, there it was. The question he hadn’t wanted her to ask. Sheldon opened his mouth to begrudgingly fill her in but was intercepted rudely by none other than Barry Kripke.

“Cooper! Who’s this wovewy wady?”

Sheldon froze and Carly turned to see Kripke approaching them with a smirk on his face. She frowned, not liking the way he looked her up and down.

Sheldon turned around, his hand still in Carly’s. “Kripke. This wov- I mean, lovely lady is none of your concern.”

“Awe, don’t be wike that. Tell me how much you paid for her to hold onto you so tightwy wike that.” His eyebrows waggled at them and she felt Sheldon tense, his hand twitching in hers.

“Are you insinuating that I paid a prostitute to hold my hand at work, Kripke?” Sheldon asked him, his voice rising and sounding more irritated than Carly had ever heard him speak.

“Duh,” was Kripke’s simple response.

“Okay, because that was unclear,” Sheldon conceded and tugged Carly closer to his side. “But no, Kripke. This is my girlfriend, Carly Bennett.”

Kripke’s eyebrows shot up at the term ‘girlfriend’ and gave them a disbelieving smile. “No way! You have a girlfriend Cooper? How’d you manage that? Did you finawy travel to another dimension and handpick her? Oh wait- you’d have to do weal science for that to work.”

Now completely offended on her boyfriends' behalf, she glowered at the man. Didn’t he know just who he was talking to? This was Sheldon Cooper for crying out loud.

“Dr. Cooper is a world-renowned physicist and he is entitled to having a girlfriend regardless of what your measly opinion is,” she snapped, unable to stop herself.

Sheldon looked over at her, stunned by her defense of him and with such passion. Kripke on the other hand composed his mild surprise to laugh in amusement.

“Ooh, not only is she your girlfriend but she’s your protector too! How sweet! You must feel wike a true man.”

Sheldon scowled at the man as Carly frowned. “I don’t need a protector. She’s just telling you like it is. Now get lost.”

Kripke rolled his eyes. “Ooh, good one. Well, I won’t stay wong. Just wanted to congratulate you on the denial of switching your field to dark matter!” He followed his taunt up with a maniacal laugh.

Carly was startled by the news and looked up at Sheldon in surprise. He looked away from them in clear embarrassment. “Changing fields?” She asked him softly. “You aren’t doing string theory anymore?”

“Ohoho, I see I disturbed the peace in pawadise - I’ll let you two wovebirds work it out. Peace!” He said lamely, putting two fingers up and disappearing around a corner.

Now alone in the hallway, Carly tugged on Sheldon’s hand that was beginning to sweat in hers. He turned in her direction but didn’t look at her.

“Sheldon?” She called, worried. “What happened while I was working all week?”

Sheldon was reluctant to tell her. She’d been busy and stressing, plus he didn’t want her knowing he was a fraud. A failure for everything he’d been working his whole life for. She had begun dating a man dedicated to string theory and the fact that he was failing at making any worthwhile accomplishments for it had him feeling ashamed.

He hesitantly looked into her eyes, her concern for him feeling like daggers in his heart. If she knew just how much of a failure he was, would she still love him like she said she did?

He wouldn’t.

“I just needed a change,” he told her instead, taking the cowardly way out. His tone was light and casual, attempting to make it less of a deal than it was. “It doesn’t matter anyway. The proposal was denied by the University.”

Carly saw the way his eye twitched, felt his sweaty palm against hers, and knew he was covering up something. This was a bigger deal than he was letting on. Not understanding why he’d lie to her, she tried to coax it out of him.

“But you love it. The majority of the time I feel like I’m the second woman to string theory. You’ve dedicated your whole life to it.”

At her words, Sheldon tightened and a muscle in his jaw jumped. He let go of her hand, wiping his hand on his pants as he moved down the hall away from her.

Now really troubled, Carly followed him hot on his heels. “Sheldon! Don’t just run away from me. What aren’t you telling me?”

Sheldon crossed his arms over his chest as he continued to walk, throwing a glance at her. “I’m not hiding anything from you, I told you everything you need to know.”

Carly didn’t like the way he phrased his words. “Then what do I not need to know?”

Sheldon huffed. “Would you just drop it? I told you it doesn’t matter.”

Carly scowled, looking ahead of her as he took her to the cafeteria. If it didn’t matter then why was he acting so weird?

She did drop it, for now. She didn’t want to ruin their lunch. She had been looking forward to seeing him all week, she didn’t need to spoil it.

Intending to find out what was bothering him later, she changed subjects when they stood in line for their trays of food. “Who was that guy earlier? He was rude.”

Sheldon narrowed his eyes at the mention of Kripke. “That was Barry Kripke. He is a physicist and is always harassing me.”

Carly frowned. “That’s irritating.”

“You have no idea,” Sheldon muttered. “He never spares the chance to jeer in my direction or at my expense.”

Carly wrinkled her nose as they continued in line. “Someone needs to teach him a lesson.”

Sheldon snorted. “Believe me, I’ve tried-“ He broke off, remembering something, and gave her a tilt of his lips. “You’re something else though, Carly. I wouldn’t have expected you to defend me like that to someone you didn’t even know.”

Carly grinned through a light blush at the praise. “I didn’t like the way he spoke about you, as if it were impossible for you to have a girlfriend.”

Sheldon went silent and looked ahead. She peered over at him, not understanding why he had done so. “What?”

Sheldon blinked and looked down at his tray, speaking in a low, soft voice. “Up until you, it was impossible for me to have a girlfriend. The fact that I found you is astonishing to me.”

Carly’s heart skipped a beat at his words and she was so full of emotion that she had a hard time forming any sort of response to him. He was surreal. That someone like him could be with her was just something out of a dream.

They spoke no more and got their food. She followed him to a rectangular table and they sat down next to each other. Sheldon began eating and Carly stared down at her salad, chewing her lip, still reeling from what he had said.

“Sheldon,” she said quietly, making him look at her in question. “I feel the same way about you, you know? I’ve lived a very lonely life and... meeting you has changed me. My life feels like it has meaning. I don’t want to live a single day without you in it, I don’t think I could.” She knitted her eyebrows at the thought, not wanting to imagine a world without him.

His eyes widened slightly and then he tore his gaze off of her to look down at his plate again, seeming anxious.

Before they could say anything more, their friends joined them. Soon, the heavy subject turned to light and happy chatter between them all.

Afterward, the guys walked the girls to the doors. Penny paused and looked to Sheldon and Leonard.

“Oh, so I was thinking. I’m not working tonight and Carly’s finally able to breathe- we should have a double date! How’s that sound?”

“That sounds great!” Leonard told her with a smile, before turning to the taller man. “Sheldon?”

The man in question shifted on his feet, looking uncomfortable with the idea. “I dunno... it’s Thursday. It’s pizza night.”

Penny sighed. “We can get pizza somewhere, Sheldon. There’s plenty of Italian restaurants in Pasadena.”

Sheldon wrinkled his nose at the thought. “And run the risk of enduring food poisoning on a workday? No thank you.”

“Well, you tried,” Leonard told Penny in chagrin. She crossed her arms in contempt.

Carly took a step towards Sheldon from Penny’s side. “Come on Sheldon, please?”

Sheldon eyed her, his face going from consideration to downright stubborn. “Don’t you use those puppy dog eyes on me, little lady! They won’t work. I hate dogs and I hate trying new restaurants.”

“But what happened to anything can happen Thursdays?” Penny suddenly brought up in hope, catching Sheldon off guard.

Carly hadn’t ever heard of this so-called event but it was working in their favor so she wasn’t going to bring it up.

“We no longer partake in anything can happen Thursday’s, Penny. Thursday’s are pizza night.”

Penny huffed. “Oh come on Sheldon!” She complained.

“Bernie and I can come,” Howard offered. “We’re supposed to be having dinner with her parents tonight but I’d try anything to use as an excuse to get out of it.”

Carly laughed at his plight. “Good try Howard but Bernadette told me that it was nonnegotiable.”

Howard practically stomped his foot. “Dammit, it’s like she’s here but she isn’t,” he muttered to Raj about his fiancé.

“Sheldon, what if we leave the decision of the restaurant up to you?” Leonard proposed, giving him a sidelong glance. “That way you can research it, find the up to date health record, and decide for us.”

Sheldon tilted his head, thinking over it. “I suppose the idea of researching a new restaurant wouldn’t be too terrible - and if it would make you all stop pestering me, then why not? I’m in.”

“Yes!” Penny cheered, jabbing her elbow down in enthusiasm.

Carly grinned and Sheldon caught her eyes, giving her a small smile of his own.

“Let’s go, Carly!” Penny said with a tug of her hand. “Bye guys!”

Carly broke her gaze from Sheldon and waved goodbye. Sheldon rose a hand in response. Her heart would ache until she saw him again and she didn’t care how dramatic that made her sound.

Once back at the apartment, the girls separated to get dressed for their date, and then Carly headed up to Penny’s to wait until the guys returned from work.

The women sat on the aqua blue loveseat and watched television. Penny was wearing a red sweater dress with black knee-high boots, her hair waving around her shoulders, looking gorgeous as ever.

Carly was in her blue dress she wore to meet Sheldon’s mom, a gray long cardigan over it, and her white sneakers. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail. It was the most she could manage, she was so tired.

She was looking forward to their date and spending time with her friends but she couldn’t help but think about how Sheldon was closing himself off to her regarding his work. Had something happened? Did he feel bad about it? She didn’t know.

The fact that he was wanting to change fields bothered her for some reason. Not because he was looking for something new but because up until that point that was all Sheldon had been about. The fact that he had just up and tried to change it was shocking- and he hadn’t even told her.

Of course, she’d been busy, but with something as drastic as it was, something that was extremely important to him, how come he hadn’t even begun to mention it to her?

“Hey, Penny?” She was unable to focus on the Kardashian sisters gossiping and bickering back and forth.

“Yeah?” She asked idly, watching the show intently.

“Can I ask you something? It’s about Sheldon.” She had no idea if Penny would be of much help but it didn’t hurt to try.

“Of course!” She said brightly, tearing her gaze from the tv. “What’s up?”

Carly bit her lip, wondering how to word her worries. “Have you heard about Sheldon wanting to change fields?”

Penny froze at the question and then blinked rapidly, straightening up. So that would be a yes, Carly thought.

Why did that dishearten her?

“I heard him talking to Leonard about it. Has he not talked to you?” Penny seemed disturbed by the news.

Carly turned away, miserable. “No, he hasn’t. I’m not sure if I was ever going to know. I found out by some rude guy at Caltech giving Sheldon a hard time.”

“That must have been Kripke,” Penny guessed correctly, rolling her eyes at the thought of him. “Well, I’m sure Sheldon had his reasons for not saying anything to you.”

Carly sulked. ”Yeah, but what would they be? I tried to get him to talk to me about it but he seemed to just shut himself off.”

Penny furrowed her eyebrows in thought, pursing her lips. “Well, I believe it’s because he’s upset. He has spent his whole life working on string theory and has nothing to show of it. It’s sort of like me and my acting career,” she added bitterly.

Carly understood what she was saying. She was positive that was what Sheldon was feeling but why wouldn’t he tell her about it?

“Right... it’s just it’s super important to him. Wouldn’t he tell his girlfriend about it? At least mention it?”

Penny sighed dismally. “I suppose you’re right... but perhaps he’s ashamed to tell you. I know I would be if it were me- hell, I am ashamed of my failing acting career. It seems like I’ll be working at the Cheesecake Factory to pay my rent for the rest of my life.”

Carly gave her a sad look. “Don’t say that. Even if acting isn’t working for you, I’m sure something will come along and whisk you away from being a waitress. You have a long life ahead of you.”

Penny shrugged. “Maybe. But Carl’s- look at this way, Sheldon holds himself up to a high standard. He probably assumes you do too. If anything were to tarnish that, it would deeply upset him.”

Carly pondered over her words, staring at the tv blankly. She was probably right. Sheldon thought highly of himself. Which he should, he was perfect- at least to her.

“Should I try to reassure him that I think he is perfect the way he is?” She wondered aloud.

Penny tilted her head in thought. “Maybe, maybe not. I worry what his reaction would be if you hinted to him that he wasn’t perfect. He’d probably throw himself out the window.”

Carly crossed her arms with a pout. “You’re probably right. But what can I do?”

Penny reached over and patted her arm comfortingly. “I think just give him time. He’s already overcome so much with you by his side. Things even he didn’t think was possible. I wouldn’t push him.”

Carly nodded, agreeing. It wouldn’t do her any good to make him more upset. She’d drop it for now and just focus on finding a way to convince him that he was enough for her, just the way he was.

Shouldn’t he know that by now?

Even so, she realized she still had a hard time feeling deserving of him. She supposed they weren’t too different in that department.

oO0Oo

Sheldon had found a small Italian restaurant that was up to his standards and they were all surprised by how romantic it was. When asked about it, he made a scene of not noticing the white table cloths or the red roses on the tables.

The hostess brought them to their tables and Carly sat down next to Sheldon, their eyes meeting briefly in the dimly lighted restaurant. She didn’t think she had ever been in such a fancy restaurant before. If it weren't for the fact that Sheldon loathed places such as this one, she’d ask for them to return, just them two.

“This is so pretty,” Penny beamed, her eyes glittering in the candlelight’s as she looked around. Leonard smiled dreamily at her from beside her.

“It is. I’m surprised Sheldon picked it,” he mumbled, still in disbelief. His roommate was wholly against romantic festivities, despite having his girlfriend now. This was way out of character.

Sheldon had picked up on Leonard’s words and glowered from across the table. “I told you in the car, I didn’t realize that it was a romantic date spot. I only went by the ratings and the health codes.”

Carly peered down at the menu, finding it fancy as well. “Do they have pizza here?”

Sheldon rolled his eyes at her question. “Of course they do. It’s an Italian restaurant.”

Leonard glossed over his menu. “They do but it’s under the children’s menu,” he told Sheldon, becoming amused.

Sheldon gaped and looked down at his menu, eyes searching. Realizing Leonard was right, he dropped the menu on the table and slumped. “Drat. I knew I should have looked at the menu better.”

Carly frowned and looked over at her ruffled boyfriend. “Sheldon, it’s not like you to miss something... is everything okay?”

Sheldon froze and then flickered his eyes away, straightening in his chair. “Yes of course everything is fine. With the short notice, what do you expect of me? I’m not superhuman.”

Carly, Penny, and Leonard all stared at him then, unsure of how to respond to his sudden animosity. Carly bit her lip and looked down. He was being strange.

Penny cleared her throat. “Ooh, they have wine!” She said enthusiastically over her menu.

No one replied and the waiter appeared shortly after to take their drink orders. Leonard and Penny ordered wine and Sheldon got a diet coke, before bemoaning about how an Italian restaurant such as this didn’t have any flatbread. When the waiter asked Carly in desperation to leave them, she ordered a glass of wine against her better judgment.

Sheldon was in a mood and she needed to calm her nerves.

The red thick wine tasted delicate and smooth down her throat. It was nice, she thought, forgetting how it had affected her in Las Vegas.

She was surprised with herself on how easy she spoke to Leonard about her job when he asked her about it, the words exiting her mouth without any sliver of anxiety. It was relaxing. Especially after the hard week she had.

She ordered an alfredo and Sheldon refused to budge on pizza night so he ordered it from the children’s menu. When the waiter told him he wasn’t allowed, because he wasn’t a child, he had practically stomped his foot and insulted the waiter by telling him a full minute long spiel about how pizza originated from the borders of Italy and should have been offered to him at this so-called five-star restaurant.

The waiter, exasperated with Sheldon, surrendered and let Sheldon have his pizza.

Carly was glad she’d had the wine. It was helping her deal with her over boisterous boyfriend. Penny felt the same way but she had ordered two more glasses before their food had come out. Leonard just regretted coming, thinking they should have just let Howard come.

As they ate their food, Penny glanced up to see Carly swaying in her seat. Frowning she lightly kicked her friend from under the table, making the woman start and jump with wide eyes thrown her way.

“Wha- why?”

Penny quirked her eyebrow. “Are you okay?”

Carly blinked, eyes shadowed. “Yeah, why?”

Penny didn’t believe her. She looked dead on her feet. She was barely touching her food and her one glass of wine was almost gone. Perhaps she should have had Carly rest instead.

But this was an important night. She needed to tell them something. Swallowing thickly down her nerves, she glanced to Leonard and met his eyes over his second glass of wine.

She gave him a little nod and smile, signally that it was time.

He straightened nervously and looked over at his oblivious roommate who was both busy eating his pizza and looking up something on his phone.

Clearing his throat, Leonard garnered the other couple's attention. “Um, so Penny and I... we have something to tell you two.”

Carly and Sheldon both stared at them, unable to decipher what it was that Leonard and Penny looked so nervous about.

Penny slid her hair behind her ear, glancing between them all. “It’s actually why we asked you two to come tonight. We want you both to know because...” she trailed off and looked to Leonard, needing his help with explaining.

He blinked a couple of times, trying to remember how they had decided to word it for Sheldon’s benefit. “The other day, I... I asked Penny to marry me.” At the shocked looks from both Sheldon and Carly, and the gulp Penny took from her wine glass, he scrambled. “Before you start, Sheldon I just want you to know we have decided to keep the living arrangements as they are right now but-“

Sheldon immediately interjected, just as they had foreseen. “Well of course the living arrangements would still be the same! You’re engaged not joined at the hip!” He said, sounding outraged at the idea of Leonard moving out of the apartment.

Carly, despite her boyfriends' objections, felt overwhelming happiness for her friends and grinned brightly, grabbing at Penny’s hand over the table. “Oh my god, I am so happy for you two!”

Penny felt like crying she was so happy with telling her. “Thank you, Carls. I wanted to tell you before but I promised Leonard I’d keep it a secret to tell both of you in person.”

Sheldon was still going on about Leonard’s comment about moving out and reciting their roommate agreement in absolute horror. Leonard gulped his wine, having expected this reaction.

Penny rolled her eyes. “Sheldon, he isn’t moving out. But you know when the time comes you’re gonna have to get over it- roommate agreement be damned.”

“Roommate agreement be damn-“ Sheldon looked positively livid at her words and snapped his mouth shut. A muscle in his jaw twitched.

Carly saw the hurt in his eyes and she reached out for him, trying to calm him but he shook her off violently, startling her.

“Not now Carly!” He snapped, eyes wild. Then he was on his feet. “Can’t I go two minutes without you pawing me like a wild animal!”

Carly’s eyes widened, heart stung by his words and the way he was acting.

“Sheldon! Where are you going?” Leonard asked in alarm to which Sheldon shrugged lightly.

“It would appear that would be none of your business-“ he told him and then spun on his heel, quickly leaving the restaurant as fast he could.

Carly was frozen in shock, unable to wrap her mind around what had just happened. “I need to get him-“ she told them but Leonard called her back.

“He’ll probably just take the bus back home. Come on let’s pay for our food and go.”

Penny swiftly finished her wine off as Leonard fished out cash from his wallet, stopping Carly from putting her own money on the table. “This was our treat,” he told her softly and she begrudgingly nodded.

As soon as they walked out into the evening air, Carly searched for Sheldon, hoping to see him waiting for them or something. He was nowhere to be found.

Scared for him, she grabbed her phone out of her purse and tried calling him as she got into Leonard's backseat. He didn’t answer.

“Dammit,” she muttered. “He isn’t answering.”

“Sheldon does this a lot,” Penny tried to assure her, but it didn’t help.

“He’s not in his right mind,” Carly told her, watching the sidewalks intently as Leonard drove them back towards the apartment. Maybe he was walking home? He didn’t have his bus pants.

“He’s been off for a few days now,” Leonard told them thoughtfully. “It started when Kripke brought his lack of progress in string theory up... ugh we shouldn’t have told him about us,” he groaned.

Carly bit her lip. She’d never seen Sheldon in such a fit before. He wasn’t okay. Heart aching for him she was grateful it didn’t take long for them to return home.

She hopped out of the car as soon as she could and made a run for it. She took two stairs at a time, trying to get to 4A in record time. Leonard and Penny followed suit, albeit at a slower pace.

She tried the door handle and it was locked. He either wasn’t home yet or he had locked them out. She was going to assume the former. Leonard and Penny caught up with her and Leonard unlocked the door, opening it to a darkened apartment.

Sheldon wasn’t there. Panicking, she let Penny guide her into the apartment as Leonard turned the lights on and tried calling Sheldon himself.

“Hey buddy, we’re home. Where are you? I’m a little worried,” Leonard told him in a voicemail. “Call me back when you can.”

Carly sat down on the couch, staring at Sheldon’s spot worriedly. She told herself that he was fine, that he was just taking a long time to get home because of the bus route. That had to be it.

Dread was overwhelming her though and she worried something might happen to him. Grabbing her arms, she didn’t notice Penny sitting next to her until she placed a hand on her shoulder.

“He’ll be fine, Carl’s.”

Carly trembled. “I hope you’re right.”

“Hey! I tracked Sheldon’s phone with GPS- get this, he’s at the train station!” Leonard told them, sounding extremely worried.

Heart jumping to her throat at the information she shot to her feet. “Train station? Why’s he there?” Subconsciously she knew though. Why else would he be at a train station?

Penny got to her feet next to her, equally as worried as Leonard. “He can’t be...”

Leonard shook his head. “We gotta go.”

As Leonard was grabbing his keys again, and Penny was adjusting her dress to leave, Carly’s phone rang.

Hoping it was Sheldon, she hastily took it back out of her purse and answered without hesitation, her friends' eyes on her as they hoped the same thing.

“Hello?!”

“Is this Carly Bennett? Rose Bennett’s granddaughter?” Asked an unfamiliar voice.

Confused all of a sudden, Carly froze. “Yes, who is this?”

“This is Doctor Diedre from Burbank’s Memorial Hospital. Your grandmother is here because of a stroke.”

Heart pummeling to her feet, she swayed and almost fell. “What?” She whispered in horror. “She’s not...?” She couldn’t bring herself to continue.

Leonard and Penny stared at her in concern from the doorway but seemed antsy to leave. Who knew how long they had before Sheldon boarded a train going who knows where.

“No, dear. Her condition is stable. However, as the only relative she has in the state and her emergency contact, we’ll need you to come for paperwork on her behalf.”

Carly shook, her whole body unable to handle the stress going on inside of her. “Of course! I’m- I'm in Pasadena. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

She hung up and Penny immediately rounded on her. “Is it your grandmother?”

Carly choked on a sob and nodded weakly. “She- She had a stroke. I gotta get to her but-“

Penny came for her, grabbing her by the arms to steady her, and gave her a serious look. “You go. Take my car. We’ll bring Sheldon back okay?”

Carly felt torn. Her boyfriend was trying to run away and her grandmother needed her. She couldn’t be in two places at once even though she desperately wished she could.

Crying she gave up and nodded. Penny threw her arms around her and gave her a tight hug before handing over her car keys. “I’ll text you when we get home.”

Carly nodded and they all left, driving in two different directions. Carly sobbed the whole way to Burbank, trusting her friends would bring Sheldon back, while also not realizing she wouldn’t see him for six whole weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is now completed and so from here on out, updates will be Monday’s and Fridays. There are a total of 33 chapters. :)

**Author's Note:**

> This story was previously uploaded on another account: Luna Nomea. That was my account until I was locked out of it. I don’t know the email or password to it. I have recently revised and changed this story completely. I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> Story updates every Friday. Thank you for reading!


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